


The Web The Fox Weaves

by Guitargururishi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adamantine Chains, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, F/M, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Multi, No Slash, Yôkai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:00:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 148,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25651735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guitargururishi/pseuds/Guitargururishi
Summary: What happens when Naruto is chased into the arms of an ancient evil lurking in the forests? Will he just survive or will he become something entirely new and terrifying?Eventual super powered Naruto | Adamantine Chains Naruto | Tranquil Fury Naruto
Comments: 22
Kudos: 57





	1. Enter The Fly

**Author's Note:**

> I have posted the story on FF.net as well so please check the story out on FF.net as well. Posting schedule will vary. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13627043/1/The-Web-The-Fox-Weaves
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other game/anime.

Chapter 1 - Enter The Fly

It was a bright and cheery day in Konohagakure no Sato. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and all was right with the world. The village was bustling with activity - merchants and shop keeps were selling their wares; children were running around and even the occasional ninja could be seen zipping across the rooftops.

Suddenly the sound of a loud explosion tore through the peace, bringing most of the populace to a shocked standstill. With that many people trying to pinpoint the exact source of the noise, it didn't take them long to figure it out. The copious amounts of smoke and the ridiculously painted faces of the previous Hokages helped as well. While a few were shocked and remained so, the vast majority got over it relatively quick and could only sigh in exasperation and mutter darkly – it seemed the demon brat had come out to play. Surely enough, sounds of exhilarated laughter could be heard rapidly approaching the general area - accompanied by the curses of various patrolling ninja who were trying to apprehend the source of said laughter - one Naruto Uzumaki.

The blond-haired menace Naruto, was a cheery six-year-old with a penchant and proclivity for creating mayhem that was as well known as his ability to evade capture from professional ninjas. In his entire time of making the lives of many poor genin an absolute nightmare due to the massive clean ups they would always be saddled with following his stunts, and being the public enemy number one, he had never once been caught. It was one of the things that had him convinced that he would be a fantastic ninja and Hokage to boot in no time flat.

Ducking into one of his favourite hiding spots, Naruto patiently waited for the pursuers to pass him by; he even doubled back and took a couple of alternate routes to throw them truly and hopelessly off track. Satisfied with himself he decided to treat himself to some Ichiraku's for a prank well executed and a productive day in all.

"Hey old man! Hit me with some of the good stuff and keep 'em coming" declared Naruto with a shit eating grin as he entered his favourite place in the village. Teuchi could only smile fondly at his favourite customer as he could spy the residue of a small explosion on the boy's face. He knew only too well the source of all the commotion and excitement that had gripped the village that day. "Here you go Naruto" said Teuchi handing Naruto his ramen, the first of what was surely to be many. "Did you hear about someone defacing the Hokage monument today, you wouldn't happen to know who might be behind it, would you Naruto?" asked Teuchi with a small smile, all he got in response was a mumbled response which sounded something like "It wasn't me, promise". After six more bowls of 'the food of the gods' Naruto paid for his meal, greeted Ayame and scampered off to plan his next bit of mischief.

It was getting late and Naruto was bored, the ninjas were on high alert and that made it impossible for him to start anything fresh. He decided to head back to his apartment. His apartment building was situated in one of the seedier areas of Konoha and our favourite brat was hurrying to get back before the nastier elements came out to play. He was sticking to the shadows and was half way to his destination and just outside a pub when a sudden shout grabbed his attention. "There's the demon brat – get him!", this was nothing new to Naruto and he broke out into a full run. What WAS new was the assortment of no-name chunins pursuing him in this district seeing that they generally stayed out.

Naruto ran as fast as he could and used all the tricks at his disposal, but even for him escaping without a pre-made plan was very difficult.

It was only the blaring of all his senses and an overwhelming feeling of danger that caused him to shift at the last moment to narrowly avoid a couple of kunai. This was new - and terrifying - for Naruto. He had been the victim of a few beatings in the past but he had never encountered deadly force being used against his person. In complete and utter panic, he put on a frantic burst of speed that managed to catch his pursuers by surprise. He made a mad dash towards the outer edges of the district but soon pulled up in a dead-end alley. He was about to double back and exit when his pursuers managed to box him in.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here boys? A filthy little demon!" spat the apparent leader of the group and for good measure closed the distance and punched Naruto in the gut. The punch was hard on the little boy and he almost folded in half around the man's fist. As he was about to recover, he was sent reeling to the ground by a kick that came out of nowhere. Naruto looked up to find the leering face of another.

"Do you have any idea how much work you have given me you demon brat, pull more stunts will you?" asked the second man as he punctuated his words by stomping on a kneeling Naruto's fingers. The boy cried out in pain, rolled over and crouched into a ball in anticipation for the beating that he knew was going to follow. He waited, waited and waited. When no blows came, he peeked out hopefully from his defensive position and was greeted with blinding pain.

"Didn't expect that, did you brat?" cruelly spat the first man who had waited for the right moment to kick Naruto in the sides. "Why the Hokage would let the demon live, I will never understand" "You killed my family you bastard"- "Burn the demon" - "Kill the kyuubi" - "Kill it while you still can", various voices sounded out. Apparently they had company and they had all come for Naruto.

"I am going to gut you and toss your body to the spiders in the forest you little shit" leered the second chunin as he drew a kunai. Seeing him advance, Naruto frantically started to scramble away but was caught in the vice like grip of the chunin. Naruto closed his eyes expecting the blow but once again it never came. Naruto was scared out of his mind and was expecting a trick again when he suddenly heard choking sounds. Daring to open his eyes, he immediately wished that he hadn't, because the one that had been holding him had a gash across his throat and was desperately trying to stem the flow of blood with his hands. Confused and terrified beyond belief, Naruto looked around to see the other chunin on the ground frothing at the mouth and desperately clawing at his throat. Naruto looked around in increasing panic when he saw the cowed crowd backing away and a lone ANBU on top of the lamp post in front of him.

Mukade(Centipede) was the operative assigned to this district of Konoha and had been at it for close to two weeks. In that time, she had observed the district and its most infamous resident and had come to the conclusion that Naruto was a normal, lovable boy who had had a bad hand dealt to him by fate. Mukade assessed the situation with a logical mind and taking into consideration Naruto's skill at trap making and stealth, she had long since arrived at the conclusion that Naruto would make a fine ninja.

She was on her rounds when the sudden buzz of activity from one corner of the district alerted her. She went in to investigate and was infuriated by what she saw - a rarity for people hailing from her clan. For Mukade, also known as Sui, was a member of the Aburame clan. The Aburame were known for their lack of emotions and their cold logical natures. They were also famed for their use of insects, poisons and strategies revolving around those.

Mukade arrived just as the chunin was about to stab Naruto. She swung into action immediately and chose to use deadly force against the would-be murderer and paralytic insects against the rest. She swooped in and slashed the throat of the first chunin before disappearing and re-appearing on top of a lamp post via shunshin. She then proceeded to deploy her insects which wreaked havoc amidst the remaining aggressors.

This was the exact scene Naruto opened his eyes to. In his panic he didn't realise that the Centipede masked operative had saved his life and only saw another ninja that would probably kill him. As a result, he turned tail and vaulted over the wall of the district into the forests and kept running.

By the time Mukade turned around, Naruto had run in to the forest. Normally this wouldn't have been an issue as Konoha was as much forest as it was a village, but the particular part Naruto had chosen to run into was considered the most dangerous place in the village - far deadlier than the 'Forest of Death'. Mukade was panicking as she Naruto approaching one of the greatest secrets of the Aburame Clan. A section of the forest which was the home of a being far older than Konoha itself. Only the head of the Aburame had permission to enter. Permission, not from the Hokage, but the being that the forest housed. For anyone apart from Shibi Aburame, the head of the clan, entering that section of the forest meant certain death.

Mukade could only watch with a heavy heart as Naruto entered the perimeter of the forbidden section and disappeared from sight. She bowed her head for a moment in honour of the boy before turning around and leaving to meet the Hokage. She had the death of Naruto Uzumaki to report.


	2. Won't you come into my parlour?

"Are you certain?!" asked the panicked old man behind the desk. "Get me Shibi this instant! Go!" - his order issued the man stood up as he saw Mukade Shunshin out. The man left his desk and walked around with a feeling of mounting dread 'I can't believe I failed the boy yet again. Maybe there is hope yet. Forgive me Minato and Kushina. Forgive me Naruto.' 'I should have taken a more active role in making sure Naruto was being treated well. What have I done?' despaired the old man, also known as Hiruzen Sarutobi, the professor and the Shinobi no Kami to the world. He was a benign leader brought out of retirement following the death of the fourth Hokage and the closest thing Naruto had to a family.

He was broken out of his despair by the arrival of Shibi Aburame, the Aburame Clan head. "Shibi, good you are here, we have an emergency and I need your assistance right now" the Hokage spoke, turning around to meet him. Shibi nodded respectfully to his commander and said "Mukade relayed the details of the incident on our way here Hokage-Sama. What do you wish of me?"

"I want you to enter the forest and make contact with her and get Naruto out." the Hokage said a little impatiently.

"I am afraid that won't be possible Hokage-Sama" intoned Shibi in a flat voice while preparing for the inevitable explosion.

"WHAT?! What do you mean it won't be possible? I am ordering you dammit" Hiruzen responded furiously.

"Forgive me Hokage-Sama it is not that I don't wish to help the child, but even I can enter the forest only and only if I am summoned by her."

"This isn't good, there has to be another way Shibi – there has to be!" pleaded the Hokage.

"I am afraid there isn't anything I can do. It was the agreement after all – anything that intruded on her domain was fair game to her and in return she would never come out of her confines to hunt."

"I don't care. I am going to authorise a task force to get in there and get the boy out."

"Hokage-Sama I must advise against that. There are currently none who can match her and going up against her is certain death. It is illogical to knowingly throw away lives. Besides, given the fact that the boy has been there for as long as he has, he is surely dead by now." reasoned Shibi.

"I refuse to believe that. There has to be something we can do" despaired the Hokage.

"As much as it pains me Hokage-Sama there is absolutely nothing we can do. The pact was made by the Shodai himself. We, the Aburame, serve as her messenger and keeper of her domain in exchange for her leaving us alone. The terms are absolute. You know what is at stake here Lord third."

"No" said the Hokage as he sagged back into his seat, that one word carried all the despair and heartbreak that the he was feeling. 'I am so sorry to have failed you Naruto, Minato, Kushina. Please forgive me' thought the Hokage as he clutched his forehead.

He could only look up and stare despondently out his window at the village as the voice of a hyperactive blond child rang in his ear about how he would become the Hokage and steal his hat someday. His look started hardening as anger at the villagers' mistreatment of the boy started to be fuelled by his sorrow. He swore then and there on the memory of the boy to turn the village into something that would have the boy and his parents' approval.

-X-

Naruto gradually started coming out of his panic induced state and took stock of his surroundings. He then realised that he was hopelessly lost and the only thing he could make out was the sound of a waterfall. He decided to make his way to the base of the waterfall for the night and chart his way back to the village in the morning.

He arrived at his destination without encountering any dangerous beasts. That fact alone had Naruto both thankful and slightly confused. He proceeded to lay out traps all around his position nonetheless. He ate a few snacks that he was carrying and turned in for the night.

It was a few hours later that Naruto woke from his sleep. He checked his traps and seeing that none of them had been triggered he was about to go back to sleep when the sound of humming caught his ears. Intrigued he made it out of his hidey hole to investigate the sound. What he saw left him speechless, mesmerised and a furiously blushing wreck at the same time. Right before him on the banks of the waterfall was a woman like no other he had seen before. She had the most beautiful face imaginable, a lithe body and curves that would put the most beautiful kunoichi to shame, not that Naruto was wholly aware of these things at his age. Oh, and also, she was naked as the day she was born. She stood there lightly splashing herself with the water from the falls. Naruto was unsure of where the odd things he was feeling were coming from but even he knew to get out of there before he was spotted. He had seen the tall white-haired man being beaten within an inch of his life by furious women for peeking at the onsen, he had no intention of following in his footsteps.

Just as he was about to stealthily make his exit, he was interrupted by the most musical and beautiful voice he had ever heard. "Hey, who are you? How did you get here?" asked the woman. Naruto turned around, avoided his gaze and immediately started shouting jumbled apologies "I swear I wasn't looking! I promise! Don't beat me up! I didn't know anyone was here!". His apologies were interrupted by the sound of light tinkling laughter "It's okay silly! Nobody ever comes here and you can look now I am decent again". Upon hearing this Naruto turned to look at the woman before him and if anything, his blushing worsened. At first glance he had thought the woman was beautiful, he now realised he was so very wrong, for the woman that was before him was so far beyond beautiful that calling her beautiful might as well have been an insult. The only word that came to Naruto at the moment was "Tenshi". "Aww thank you, you are pretty cute too" said the woman and Naruto realised that he had called her 'Tenshi' out loud. In his mortified state Naruto could only stare as she made her way even closer until she stood within touching distance of him. She had pale blue hair that looked almost white in the moonlight, eyes an enchanting mix of blue and green that could appear to be either when viewed from a different angle. She had a face so exquisitely carved that in Naruto's opinion there could not be a more perfect one in life or imagination.

"Hey, you never did tell me your name, you know" said the woman to Naruto. He blinked and then stammered out "N-N-Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you."

"Hey Naruto, it's nice to meet you too. I am Yuki. How did you get here? No one ever comes to this part of the forest" said the woman now identified as Yuki.

"I was running from a mob and got lost. What are you doing here? Are you lost too? I can take you back to the village. I will protect you, after all I am gonna be the Hokage one day" said Naruto slowly regaining his confidence and ending on a determined expression.

"Aww as much as I would love to have the future Hokage escort me, I live here so you don't need to worry about me" responded Yuki with a beautiful smile.

"You live here?" asked Naruto in confusion.

"Oh yes, I live in my cottage right next to the falls. Why don't you come stay with me for the night?" asked Yuki kindly.

Naruto thought for a while, a part of his brain was telling him that there was something off about the situation somewhere but it was drowned out by the part which was telling him that this was the first time someone was being kind to him - someone as gorgeous as Yuki no less. "Yes, I would love to."

"That's perfect and you can tell me about yourself and the mean people chasing you. I will even cook something for you Naru-kun" said Yuki sweetly.

The 'Naru-kun' had Naruto blushing once again and he made to follow Yuki with a smile. Yuki took his hand in hers and led him to her cottage.


	3. Inside the parlour

Naruto couldn't remember being happier in his life before. He had spent a few days in the company of the kind and beautiful Yuki, and that was enough to distract him from all the pain and heartbreak the villagers caused him. He spent the days talking away with Yuki as she wandered the forests and gathering herbs. During the nights, Yuki would spend time singing to him and cooking for him. It truly was the life.

"Hey Yuki, you know I was thinking that maybe I should let the old man know that I am okay. He might be worried about not having his successor around. Jiji needs my pep talks on a regular basis to keep the village going ya know?" spoke up Naruto on his fourth morning with Yuki. On hearing this Yuki visibly saddened a bit, but quickly schooled her features into her customary beautiful smile "I understand Naru-kun but wouldn't you rather stay a bit longer? I never get any visitors this far away from the village and certainly not ones as nice and cute as you".

Naruto had caught the initial saddening on her face and had almost devolved into a panic at the thought of being the cause; and almost missed being called cute. When he did, he just became a stuttering mess "Eh – w-w-what? You think I am cute? … I am not really – I mean ..." he continued to ramble. Yuki just looked at the adorable blonde fondly and said "Of course you are Naru-Kun, won't you please stay for a few more days?".

Naruto recovered somewhat and still furiously blushing and extremely pleased replied "I mean, yea sure, the old man can manage a few days without my help – I will stay with ya."

"Oh you are the best Naru-kun!" enthused an extremely happy Yuki, and in her excitement she glomped the blonde and kissed him on the cheek. That little action in itself was enough to give our hero a heart attack. If he was blushing before, now he was actually glowing like a beacon – an extremely happy beacon. "Aww my sweet little Naru-kun, I know, in honour of your staying with me, I am going to cook something extra delicious for you" declared Yuki and walked back into the cottage.

That night Yuki made a delicious stew out of a rabbit that Naruto had trapped for them. She had managed to get some rare berries and mushrooms that grew deep within the forest. Naruto and Yuki had the time of their lives and as the night winded down they started one of their long talks.

"So Naru-kun, why don't you tell me about your life in the village? Tell me about your family and friends please." At this Naruto sat up and felt a little uncomfortable. Yuki must have seen it on his face as she immediately added "You don't have to if you don't want to". "No no it is alright Yuki-chan, I don't have any parents" "Oh I am so sorry Naru-kun" said Yuki as she immediately closed the distance and hugged him. "Oh, heh heh no its alright, really" said an embarrassed but secretly very pleased Naruto. "I live at the orphanage and am friends with the Hokage himself ya know, I am even going to be the next one dattebayo!" "Oh, that is impressive, you are quite the busy person then, what with being trained as the next kage and all" replied Yuki with a fond smile. "You Betcha" came the enthusiastic response. "But then you won't be able to make time for me and will probably forget me once you go back" said Yuki with a sad little smile. "Gah! No way will I forget you Yuki-chan, I will become Hokage and you will come live with me in the Hokage mansion" said an indignant Naruto with the famous Uzumaki determination clear in his eyes. "Oh, then I just might take you up on your offer then Naru-kun" replied Yuki and quickly gave him another kiss. Naruto blushing red as a ruby couldn't say anything to that and just mumbled something about turning in as it was getting late. "It's a wonderful idea Naru-kun, we should turn in for the night" agreed a smirking Yuki, really the blonde was just too cute for his own good in her opinion. "Good night then Yuki-chan". "Good night Naru-kun". Their good nights said both went back to the cottage to sleep.

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Naruto couldn't remember being happier in his life before. He had spent a few days in the company of the kind and beautiful Yuki, and that was enough to distract him from all the pain and heartbreak the villagers caused him. He spent the days talking away with Yuki as she wandered the forests and gathering herbs. During the nights, Yuki would spend time singing to him and cooking for him. It truly was the life.

"Hey Yuki, you know I was thinking that maybe I should let the old man know that I am okay. He might be worried about not having his successor around. Jiji needs my pep talks on a regular basis to keep the village going ya know?" spoke up Naruto on his fourth morning with Yuki. On hearing this Yuki visibly saddened a bit, but quickly schooled her features into a kind smile "I understand Naru-kun but wouldn't you rather stay a bit longer? I never get any visitors this far away from the village and certainly not ones as nice and cute as you".

Naruto blushed a bright red and was about to reply when he paused and looked around in confusion. Yuki saw the change in the boy and quickly inquired "Naru-kun is everything alright? You looked a bit lost there for a moment".

"I know this will sound odd, but I could swear I had this same conversation with you before" said Naruto while blinking owlishly at her. "Are you okay Naru-kun? You are not making much sense" said a worried looking Yuki "Are you coming down with a fever or something?" she pressed further. "No no I think I am alright, but yeah it's probably nothing, sorry for being weird Yuki-chan" said a now embarrassed Naruto. "Hey, you have nothing to be worried about Naru-kun" she replied with a bemused smile.

Yeah, it was nothing, oh god why did he have to be so weird in everything, this is exactly why no one liked him and he had no friends. He only had Yuki-chan and he was being all weird and pissing her off – he should just shut up and accept a good thing when he had it. There was no point in wanting to go back to the village for a few days yet - "Naru-kun" - it's not like anyone would miss him –- "Hey Naru-kun!" – that broke his musings.

"Oh yea what is it Yuki-chan?" mumbled a now mortified Naruto. "Really you and your fantasies Naru-kun" said a fondly smiling Yuki. "Tell you what, I am going to make something extra special for you tonight, Okay?"

"It's alright, 's no trouble ya know" said a shuffling 'Naru-kun'.

"Hmph, I won't be hearing any of that now my little cutie" said a smirking Yuki, and quickly bent down to give him a kiss.

That night Yuki made a delicious stew out of a rabbit that Naruto had trapped for them. She had managed to get some rare berries and mushrooms that grew deep within the forest. Naruto and Yuki had the time of their lives and as the night winded down they started one of their long talks.

"So Naru-kun, why don't you tell me about your life in the village? Tell me about your family and friends please", at this Naruto sat up and felt a little uncomfortable and more than a little worried. Yuki noticed it and asked "Naru-kun you are acting all strange again, what's wrong?". Naruto cringed a little but replied all the same "I am sorry Yuki-chan, I am feeling really strange again"

"Oh - strange how?"

"Like I said earlier, it feels like I have said and done these things before" Naruto said apologetically. "Are you saying that you are bored with me?" half joked Yuki. "No, never Yuki chan" countered Naruto hotly "I could never grow bored with you".

"Oh, if that's the case, then I think it's best we turned in for the night so that you can rest and feel better tomorrow. I promise we will do something new and fun tomorrow, okay Naru-chan?" Yuki said in a very soothing manner. Naruto immediately felt better and wasted no time agreeing with her. Their good nights said, both of them turned in for the night.

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Naruto couldn't remember being happier in his life before. He had spent a few days in the company of the _**k**_ ind and beautiful Yuki, - **'Okay, this is SERIOUSLY WEIRD'** \- and that was enough to distract him from all the – **'I have done this before, DATTEBAYO'** pain – **PAIN** \- and heartbreak – **PAIN** \- the villagers caused him. He spent the days talking away with Yuki as she wandered – **'WAIT, W** **hat** **is ha** **ppening to me' -** the forests and gathering herbs. During the nights, Yuki would spend time singing to him and cooking - **EAT** **eat** **FEED** \- for him. It truly was the **LIFE** **Dead** **FEED**.

"Hey Yuki, you know I was thinking that – _**"WAKE UP"**_ \- maybe I should let the old man know that I am okay. He might be worried - _**"FUCKING USELESS MEATBAG – WAKE UP"**_ \- about not having his successor around. Jiji – **'Wait, Jiji – I need ta talk to him'** \- needs my pep talks on a regular basis to keep the village going, ya know?" spoke up Naruto on his fourth morning with Yuki. On hearing this Yuki visibly saddened a bit, but quickly schooled her features into a _**k**_ _ind_ smile "I understand Naru-kun, but wouldn't you rather stay a bit longer,

" _ **WAKE UP!"**_

And with that shout ringing in his ears – head? What? – Naruto snapped his eyes open. 'Huh – what? Where am I? What is going on? Who the heck is shouting? Why am I feeling so weak? Where is Yuk – YUKI-CHAN!' raced Naruto's thoughts. **"About bloody time! - Shut up boy and listen"** and for once, that worked as Naruto was too stunned by a voice that came out of nowhere.

'What? who's there? Did this voice come from my head? Have I gone mad?'

" **Dammit you useless brat – SHUT UP!"**

'Okay ghost voice, please don't hurt me'

" **Gho- Never mind, you useless brat I need you to wake up and save yourself"** rumbled the voice in his head. "Huh I don't understand Mr. Voice" said a well and truly confused Naruto.

" **Listen brat you are in danger here, you need to get out NOW"** continued the voice in his head.

"But, I live with Yuki chan here, it is safe"

" **YOU STUPID LITTLE SHIT! That thrice damned Yuki-chan of yours IS the danger"**

"HEY you stupid ghost, Yuki chan is the best and don't you dare bad mouth her in front of me Dattebayo!" countered an infuriated Naruto.

" **Why you little – look around boy, look at yourself – for once in your life use your head"** rumbled the voice.

'Huh whaddya mean' thought Naruto to himself as he looked around. If he was confused before, it was nothing to what he felt now.

'Wait why is everything so dirty, what the hell? What happened to the roof?' because now that he began to focus, he could see that the cottage was full of what looked like thick spider webs and half the roof was missing. 'What is happening? Where is Yuki-chan?'

Just as he was about to move out and look around further, he found that he couldn't feel his legs. Looking down he saw that most of his body was covered in a thick layer of webs. Horrified he tried to move with his hands and received his greatest shock yet, for he found that his arms were thin like a twig and felt even weaker.

"What the hell happened to me?" said a now confused and panicked Naruto.

" **Keep your voice down boy – shut up or you will attract her attention again"** warned the voice in his head.

" **If you must speak, then think it and I will be able to hear you – I am a voice in your head after all"**

'Yea I guess that makes sense Ghost' agreed Naruto mentally.

" **I am not a ghost you fool – but that does not matter now – for now focus on getting out of here"** spoke the voice.

'I don't understand what happened to me' mumbled Naruto mentally.

" **Boy you are in a lot of trouble. You are in the lair of the Joro Gumo and she is slowly eating you"** said the voice.

'Joro – what?'

" **Joro Gumo – the demon spider, she preys on fools like you and devours them – enough chit chat, we have to get out of here"** said the voice impatiently.

'Then we have to save Yuki-chan -'

" **You dense little fuck, Yuki IS the demon here"** snapped the voice.

'HEY! I told you not to -' began Naruto

" **Boy how long have you known her?"** snapped the voice again.

'Huh – What – I have been here a few days, you shitty voice – but that doesn't mean I don't know her well – she would never hurt anyone' replied Naruto belligerently.

" **Boy we have been here for TWO YEARS"** replied the voice

"WHAT! Stop lying you shitty voice, I came here only a few days back -" began an outraged Naruto.

" **SHUT THE FUCK UP! I told you to keep your voice down! – Okay, even someone as thick as you will have noticed something odd is up. Tell me boy, don't you remember getting a feeling of Déjà vu every now and then?"** asked the voice.

'Deja what now?' asked a thoroughly confused Naruto.

"… **Déjà vu – The feeling that you have done the same thing before"** clarified the voice. Naruto wasn't sure why, but for some reason an image of a ghost face palming himself crossed his mind.

'Oh yeah – now that you mention it, I remember feeling weird like that yesterday' replied Naruto.

" **That wasn't just yesterday – it has been the same for every single day for the last couple of years. You are under an illusion – or were – that made you see what she wanted you to see and also made you live the same day over and over again"** explained the voice.

'But -' began Naruto only to be cut off again.

" **Brat we don't have time – she could be returning any minute – we need to get out of here, and since you are too weak, I am going to lend you a bit of my power – use it to tear your way out of the webs"** said the voice.

'Wait – what power – Wha -' Naruto was shocked out of his thoughts when he felt what could only be described as liquid fire flowing through his body. He looked on in wonder as a light started to cover his stick thin arms. 'What is this feeling? I feel so strong all of a sudden – what is happening to me?'

" **Enough gawking boy! I gave you some of my chakra – be quick there isn't much time. Your body is too weak to handle it – BE QUICK!"** screamed the voice inside of his head.

'Oh yea' Naruto reached down with an arm coated with a dark red-orange light and shredded the webs holding him in place and promptly dropped to the floor, as he felt the power leave him the moment he was free of the webs.

'What? I am weak again' thought Naruto to himself.

" **Like I said you can't handle my power for more than a few moments – now get up and get out of here"** said the voice.

Naruto nodded to himself and tried getting up only to collapse. 'I can't stand up' **"Dammit you have to"** 'Stupid voice my legs are all weird and I can't see properly – what the hell am I supposed to do' **"If you can't stand, start crawling – just get out before she comes back"** ordered the voice.

Naruto was feeling weak and getting pissed with the voice, as a result he snapped back 'How do I know you are not trying to trick me? Why did you wait for so long to help me if you really wanted to?'.

" **Of all the times to start using your brain, you had to pick the worst time, didn't you? I am not tricking you, because if you die, I will die with you, I am in your head, right? – I couldn't help because my powers and I were both asleep. The Joro Gumo drains the chakra of her victim and then devours the body. The demon had drained your chakra completely which forced me to awaken to keep you alive"** replied the voice.

'Then who are you and why are you in me' asked Naruto warily

" **It is better to show you, you stubborn brat."** Naruto's world dissolved into black.


	4. The Fly and The Fox

When Naruto next opened his eyes, he found himself in a sewer. "Okay what the hell is going on? Where the hell am I now? I – is this a sewer?"

" **Come closer"** rumbled a voice – the same voice that he had been hearing, only it sounded more like growling now.

A scared Naruto ventured further in with a wildly beating heart and after some wandering found himself in front of a cage with doors as big as the Hokage mountain. He could only see a writhing darkness with a pulsing red-orange light at its centre, which filled him with an unnamed dread. **"So, we meet for the first time"** – so close to the gate the voice was almost deafening to Naruto.

"Well I am here. What is this place and what are you?" asked Naruto with more courage than he felt.

" **You can't recognise your own mind brat?"** said the voice in a mocking tone **"Who else would have a cesspool for a mind?"** continued the voice.

Naruto was offended but replied none the less "Shut up ya shitty voice. If this is my mind how come I have never seen this place before - and you still didn't tell me who you are"

" **You are here because I invited you in. This is the part of your mind where I live"**

"Who are you?" – at the question Naruto could see the darkness surge towards him, but for some reason he felt secure that it wouldn't reach him. He was proved right as the mass stopped just at the bars and a single baleful red eye twice as big as his own body opened up and stared down at him.

Naruto had been scared before, scared of being caught by the mobs, scared of the beatings, scared of rejections and a few other things. At that moment however, with the eye staring him down, he felt terror – true terror for the first time in his life.

The true mark of bravery isn't an absence of fear but the ability to stand one's ground despite the fear. Naruto Uzumaki was nothing if not brave. Despite the terror, he ground out through clenched teeth "Who are you?"

The eye stared down a bit longer before the shadows shifted like water to show the face the eye belonged to. That wasn't much of an improvement as Naruto could clearly see rows of gigantic fangs sticking out of a vulpine snout – a snout and by extension the fangs in said snout which was pointed in his direction. The monster looked down at him and spoke **"Brat, I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the demon fox, the strongest of the tailed beasts and the greatest demon to have walked this realm!"**

Naruto was thrown for a loop and couldn't believe his ears. He knew that his hero, the Yondaime had killed the Kyuubi, so this thing could only be lying. His mind made up, he charged the being in front of him "Stop lying you damn monster! There is no way you are the kyuubi! The Yondaime killed him. You are lying!"

That got a reaction out of the demonic entity as it roared its displeasure. At this distance it was all Naruto could do to not curl up on the floor blubbering in terror. **"Brat, I cannot be killed by pathetic little humans! Your precious Yondaime couldn't beat me, so he sacrificed himself and sealed me in a mewling little child."**

This little speech shattered Naruto's world and shook him out of his terror – all that he could think of was that little bit about the Yondaime sealing the fox in a child. 'Then that means I am the one the fox was sealed into! Why did no one ever tell me? Is this why people call me a monster?'

"Why would the Yondaime do something like that? Seal you into me? Why would he do that to me?" Naruto asked the fox.

" **What else would you expect from the idealistic fool? I imagine he thought that people would respect the child for his sacrifice – fat lot of good that did for you. Never mind that being a host to me is a greater honour than any one of your cursed race deserves"** replied the fox.

The fox could see the warring expressions on the boy's face and put a stop to it by speaking. **"If you don't believe me brat, get out of here and ask the fool monkey that leads that damned village of yours. For now, however we have to figure out how to get out of here"**

Yes, that sounded right to him, he could always get the truth from his Jiji, but a part of him was certain that the Fox was telling the truth. "Tsk, fine what do we do fox?"

The Kyuubi growled at the boy's tone but knew he could do nothing to him, so he let it slide for the moment. **"Your body is too weak to properly use my chakra, not to mention too young – I am trying my best to heal your body but its slow going. The spider has been sucking your reserves dry and the damage is too extensive to recover from fully in such a short time. You will have to hide till I can heal you to an acceptable level. For now, I am going to send your mind back so that you can start dragging your body out."**

-Outside world-

With that, Naruto felt a swooping sensation and he opened his eyes to the world outside. Lying on the floor of the decrepit cottage he could feel the sensations in his legs returning and also the pain from long disuse. **"Stay quiet and move quickly brat!"** Naruto nodded to himself and started crawling towards the door. Slowly but surely, he started feeling stronger – not _strong_ – but able enough to actually stand up on his wobbly legs.

Once outside, Naruto could only stare around in shock as the beautiful clearing he remembered now looked nothing like he remebered. The waterfall was there but it felt dangerous instead of the welcoming and beautiful thing he remembered. The trees all around him were liberally riddled with spider webs and looked very forbidding - like something out of the horror stories he had heard. **"Enough gawking brat, get a move on!" -** that broke Naruto out of his musings. He made to move forward when he stopped short and looked around in confusion – **"What is it now?"**

'I can't remember the way towards the village'

" **Are you kidding me?! – I should have expected as much from you, you stupid brat!"**

'No, I never forget my way! – I am the prankster king of Konoha!" Naruto returned in a tone that expressed both his indignance and his worry.

" **More of the spider's tricks, no doubt – for now, find a place away from here – GO!"**

Naruto heeded the fox's words and set off towards the sun as the only thing he remembered was that Konoha lay towards the east. He slowly kept plodding further into the forest. Night fell over the forest and Naruto scaled a tree excruciatingly slowly to turn in for the night in one of the branches.

"Hey fox, are you sure it was Yuki-chan who did this to me? Maybe she was forced to do this by the demon? I know her! She wouldn't hurt me!" Naruto asked the fox.

" **Fool! I have already told you the truth about that damned spider. If you refuse to believe me you will get us both killed! I refuse to speak on this matter. Rest now"** replied a now thoroughly ticked off Kyuubi. **'How can he be this stupid?'**


	5. The Spider and The Fly

**RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH –** The night was split by an unholy scream a few hours into Naruto's sleep. Naruto almost fell off the branch he was in when he shot awake at the sound. "What the hell was THAT?!" **"That would be your dear Yuki learning about your disappearance – and what happened to not speaking?"**

'What now? Should I stay or keep moving?' asked a now nervous Naruto.

" **Staying here is begging to be caught but on the other hand, you are not healed enough to move quickly – both options look bleak. Keep moving, let's see what happens – I have managed to heal your body a bit more"** the fox replied.

'Yosh! time to move then' Naruto quickly slid down the tree he was on and made his way further east. He could at least walk quickly now and he proceeded to do just that. He kept on moving without stopping for about an hour or so when suddenly the fox spoke up **"Brat! We have company!"**

Naruto looked around frantically but couldn't see anything except the forest around him. He was about to speak up when he caught the sound of humming – the same tune as Yuki's. He was divided because on one hand it was his Yuki-chan but on the other, there was his emaciated state and the fox to consider. His moment of hesitation was resolved for him by Yuki walking walking into the clearing.

"Whatever are you doing so far from our home Naru-kun?" inquired Yuki sweetly, while looking so very kind and beau- **"SNAP OUT OF IT! She's doing it again. Don't fall for her tricks brat!"**

Yuki could see Naruto's eyes glaze over just from her voice. She was about to approach him when he visibly shook himself awake. This shocked her because not only did Naruto shake off her charm but also because of the pulse of an ancient power that she knew only all too well coming from the boy.

'The Kyuubi no Kitsune! – I had the carrier of the demon fox with me all this time! I knew the boy was special and his chakra even more so but this? This is just unbelievable good luck! I can drain the fox as well! – Naru-kun you truly are something else ...' thought a visibly drooling Yuki.

"Naru-kun, why won't you listen to me? Don't you wanna come back home with me?" Yuki tried again.

This time around she couldn't feel her charm affecting the blonde even a little bit. 'What changed? How did I miss the fox? Did I wake him up when I drained the brat's chakra? What does this change? In his present condition he cannot fight me, he cannot even use the fox's strength. If he resists, I might accidentally kill him and waste the Chakra – I will have to talk the idiot into coming with me one way or the other.' Her thoughts in place she proceeded to cautiously approach Naruto.

Meanwhile, the Kyuubi was stripping the enchantments that Yuki had put Naruto under – **"Do you see now boy? Do you see what your precious Yuki is now?"**

Surely enough, Naruto began picking up differences in Yuki's appearance – where before she had appeared to be a kind beauty, he could see a cruel visage which, while no less striking was infinitely more unwelcoming. Her previously dainty fingers now clearly ended in wickedly sharp claws. He could swear that he saw four ghostly spider legs growing from her back. Her movements were unnaturally silent and screamed to some deep part in his brain of mortal danger.

Naruto started backing up. Seeing this Yuki spoke to him "Naru-kun what's wrong? Please talk to me -"

"No! You did this to me!" interrupted Naruto holding up his arm and drawing her attention to it "Stay away from me!"

"Naru-kun don't be silly, I would never hurt you. You got sick and I have been running around getting herbs for you -" began Yuki only to be cut off again.

"I know what you are Yuki! You - You are a spider demon! – I know what you did to me!" countered Naruto again while backing away even further.

That one sentence brought about a complete change in Yuki's demeanour. She stood up taller and shifted her posture slightly and that was enough to cause Naruto to start sweating buckets – "OH? You know what I am? Then why are you backing away? Do you think you will be able to get away from me?" mocked the now evilly smirking Yuki. She then swiftly closed the distance between them despite appearing to leisurely stroll towards him.

Naruto was now terrified beyond belief 'Oh shit! What do I do fox?!' was the only thing he could think.

" **This is bad brat. Keep talking and maybe I can heal your body enough to give her a little surprise."**

"Why did you do this to me Yuki?" asked Naruto in a desperate attempt to delay being snatched by the demon.

"Because you are oh so delicious! – I have never had anyone who kept me fed for this long. But you don't have to worry – I can sense your new friend in you. Come back with me and I will make you so comfortable that you will never want to leave again." Yuki replied with a sly smile.

"Come with me and I can make you feel so good that you will forget the world" she continued while sashaying up to Naruto.

Naruto was both mortified and terrified by the show and couldn't get one word out.

"Come on Naru-kun, I will show you things that no one has ever seen before" said Yuki as she let her Yukata slip past her shoulders. "You can have me for whatever you want – all you have to do is let me **FEED!"**

At that exact moment everything went wrong – just as Yuki screamed out her last word, she jumped at Naruto. The fox chose that exact moment to give Naruto his power. Naruto chose that very moment to swing his arm up to protect himself. The result was a Kyuubi empowered arm punching the overly excited Joro Gumo right in the face and sending her flying back.

This little exchange managed to shock Naruto to a standstill. **"Don't just stand there! – Run! Run while you still have my power!"** blared the fox's voice in his head. Wasting no time Naruto ran deeper into the foliage.

He was running on fumes and his emaciated body was screaming in protest. Just as he was about to burst across yet another clearing, his world exploded in pain. The cause? That would be being mercilessly slammed into the ground from behind by a particularly irate spider demon.

" _ **Did you really think that you would be able to run from me in my own forest, little fly?"**_ came the distorted voice of Yuki from above him. She hauled him up by the scruff of his neck and turned him around to face her.

Whatever lingering doubt Naruto had about Yuki fled at that moment because he saw her face which appeared to be crumpled on the side where he had punched him, slowly knitting itself back together. As he was looking on, lines appeared on her face which made her face appear to be made of compartments like some demented doll or puppet.

" _ **I would have made it so much easier for you, you ungrateful little shit! I could have made your remaining stay with me so much pleasurable – far more than anything you would have found out there in the world. But no, you chose the hard way and the hard way you shall get. I am going to turn your life into a blaze of pain while I suck you dry"**_ growled the Joro Gumo menacingly.

"LET ME GO!" screamed out Naruto while struggling against her grip on him.

" _ **What will you do even if I let you go hmm? No one wants you - you are the demon child remember? What will you do by going back to that pathetic village? At least here I want you for food if for nothing else. Everyone else hates you and you are of no use to anyone. Even your own father hated you enough to seal the fox in you."**_ continued the Joro Gumo remorselessly. Every single question and taunt felt like a knife in the gut for Naruto, right up until the last one.

Naruto's brain went into overdrive and it didn't take him more than a second to make the obvious connection. Years of pain and abuse had not been enough to bring him down. He had taken everything the villagers had thrown at him in the hope that one day he would make them like him. He had faced everything in his path with an unending amount of optimism – from being mistreated at the orphanage, the other children shunning him to the occasional beatings and mobbings.

But that one revelation, that his own father was the cause of his misery, that he hated him enough to make him a monster, changed something in him. In that moment something inside him snapped.

"Did you know?" asked a strangely calm Naruto in his mindscape. The fox was surprised by the sudden appearance of the boy in front of the gates to his cell. "Did you know?" repeated Naruto in the same eerily calm voice.

" **Know what brat?"** asked the fox.

"Did you know that the Yondaime was my father?" Naruto tonelessly inquired of the fox.

" **Yes, I did"** replied the fox warily.

"Why didn't you say something before?"

" **Because I didn't want you to break down crying about the injustice of it all with our lives on the line"** replied the fox with a shrug.

"I see" was all that Naruto said before vanishing again.

' **That was strange, but looks like we are going to die at the hands of the fucking Joro Gumo, so I guess it doesn't matter'** thought the fox to itself.


	6. The Parlour is mine now

Naruto opened his eyes to the exact moment that he was in before going into his mindscape. He could feel himself hoisted in the air by his throat and see the smirk on Yuki – no - the Joro Gumo's face.

The demon also noticed some change in him as she peered a bit closer at him. _**"Well brat, answer me, what good will you do by going back? Isn't it better to be of use to me?"**_ questioned the Joro Gumo again, while letting him drop to the ground.

The revelations of the night started taking its toll on Naruto and he could feel his rage building up. Rage against the village that acted so stupid and bloodthirsty. Rage against the Third for not being able to help him. Rage against the fox for being the cause of his sufferings. Rage against his parents for leaving him alone. Rage against his father in particular, for condemning him to suffering. Finally, Rage against the demon in front of him for lying to him and breaking his heart.

As everything came to a boiling point where he felt like he couldn't handle anymore, he felt a sudden calm settle over him. Everything became clear to him – the strong ate the weak, just like the Joro Gumo was about to eat him. All his hankering for love and acceptance was pointless – he only had to be so strong that no one would ever dare to even look at him the wrong way.

With his new found mental state, he made a simple promise to himself 'I won't be eaten!'

While this great mental battle was going on the Kyuubi was almost panicking in his cell because he could feel a pull upon his chakra and more worrying, his chakra responding to the boy's demand without him allowing it. **'This is vexing. The boy should be too young to take my power from me. More importantly the chakra could kill him if he keeps at it.'**

Unaware of the Kyuubi's panic and Naruto's revelations, the Joro Gumo confidently knelt next to Naruto and grabbed his chin to make him face her. She was about to continue with her taunting when she looked into his eyes. Gone were the shining eyes full of laughter and in its stead were a pair of icy blue pits - carrying in them every bit of rage, pain and heartbreak that Naruto had ever felt. It was enough to give even the demon pause. _**"You know, I think that's enough talk, I will just take you back to my lair and feed till – GACK!"**_ Yuki gasped out in pain suddenly. The demon looked down in agony and confusion to see a glowing red-orange chain passing through her belly and stabbing into the ground behind her.

While Naruto was making his promise he unconsciously pulled on the chakra of his tenant. His refusal to die and the rage he felt at the moment mixed with the Kyuubi chakra to unlock one of his many gifts – in this case the famed adamantine chains of the Uzumaki clan.

Naruto only wanted a way to not die and when a glowing chain erupted from his back and stabbed into the Joro Gumo, a part of him was taken aback while the part of him that was currently feeling all the rage took the development in its stride.

In the meantime, the Joro Gumo was panicking. She had never felt pain like this and the only time she had felt as helpless was when she had fought against the one who made the forest. She could feel the chains disrupting her power just like the trees of that man and she couldn't move her body. _**'When did the brat learn to do something like this? How do I make him stop?'**_ was the only thought running through her head.

Naruto took in the sight of the impaled Yuki and shakily stood up. He eyed the chain with interest and then the demon. Calmly he wished to hurt her even more and suddenly another chain shot out his back to impale the demon through the chest this time. The Joro Gumo screamed out in agony but could do nothing against the onslaught and could only scream until her wails turned into whimpers.

While this was going on, a certain nine tailed fox was looking on at the scene in shock and a small amount of fear. **'Those accursed chains. I can't believe the boy has it. He is too young. This is not good'** were the thoughts that kept repeating in its head.

" _ **Naru-kun p-p-please stop this, I am sorry. Please l-l-let me live, I won't hurt you anymore"**_ pleaded the whimpering demon on the ground. Naruto stared down at her coldly before stabbing yet another chain through her shoulder this time. The pointed end of the chain erupted in an explosion of blood and bone from her back and sent the demon into a fresh spasm of utter agony.

" _ **You can't k-k-kill me as you are now brat. You can hurt me, but eventually you will run out of strength and then I will introduce you to pain a million times worse before I feed on you"**_ screamed the demon from her position on the ground. Naruto didn't show any reaction to the words and got to considering her words.

" **She is right you know; you have the upper hand now but your body is reaching its limit on using my power and she is strong enough that she will recover relatively quickly – we have to take the chance to run boy"** came the voice of the fox.

'No, I won't be able to run in this forest, in case you haven't noticed we seem to be going around in circles – I can't kill her with your power although that gives me an idea -' Naruto abruptly cut off the conversation.

The Joro Gumo could feel the chains weaken slightly in density and began to bide her time. Oh, she was going to reduce his existence to a bath of pain while she fed on him and the fox in him. She saw the boy looking down at her expressionlessly and smirked through her pain, secure in the knowledge that it was now a waiting game which she would win.

"You are correct, you know, I will run out of strength …" began Naruto to which the demon smirked even harder. "Unless of course …" and that threw the demon for a loop and she asked with a snarl _**"Unless what?"**_

"Unless I … **FEED"** replied an evilly smiling Naruto with undertones of the fox's growl in his voice.

At the sight of the smile and the sound of Naruto's declaration Yuki, the Joro Gumo, the immortal whore spider felt terror unlike any other she had ever felt before. That terror was surpassed by a fresh wave of even stronger despair when she felt her strength begin to be drained by the chains in her body. With the passing moments her fear worsened as not only did she feel her power drain faster but the chains that held her regained their strength and if anything felt much stronger than before.

"You know I can see why you like doing this so much" said a slightly glowing Naruto in a bland voice. "It really is better to eat than be the food, Yuki-chan" he further taunted.

In a full-blown panic Yuki started pleading for her life with promises to never pursue him for revenge but Naruto ignored her and focused solely on draining her powers. Keeping his mind on the task he quickly jumped into his mindscape again to find an impressed looking fox staring down at him.

" **You know, for a kid, you aren't bad at this demon stuff. You are already sucking her strength like you have been doing this forever, not bad kid"** the fox rumbled at him.

"Thank you, Fox, I swear it felt like the chains were whispering at me that I could feed on her power" replied Naruto with a slight smile.

" **That is because, you made the chains from my chakra. Demons made of chakra all have the power to feed on chakra from the body of defeated opponents. But you can't keep this up forever, I am receiving most of the chakra from the spider, but she is ancient and powerful and your body won't handle the strain of being the conduit indefinitely"** warned the fox.

"I will figure something out" replied Naruto before jumping out again.

Yuki's pleas were getting more desperate as she felt her power being drained faster and faster every moment. "Were you hoping that I would hit my limit and be forced to hit stop the drain?" asked Naruto innocently. Upon meeting Yuki's hopeful eyes, he smirked and said "But aren't you forgetting my nine tailed friend? He is gobbling up all the excess" his smirk growing into a full-blown grin by the end of that exchange.

On hearing the question what little hope Yuki had was shattered. _**'I don't want to die! I have survived this long! I survived the forest father! I won't die to this child no matter what … There is only one thing left that I can offer in exchange for my life'**_

" _ **N-Naruto, l-l-let me live and I will swear un-unconditional loyalty t-t-to you"**_ stuttered out Yuki.

Naruto was about to reject it when the Kyuubi interrupted him in excitement **"Kid! This is perfect! Accept her oath and we will be able to leave with a victory and a powerful servant"**

'Why keep her alive?' asked Naruto

" **Kid here I was hoping that you were smart! You are fast approaching your limits - you can't keep this up anymore!"** argued the fox.

'What if she betrays me?'

" **Make her swear the oath on her life, blood and chakra. That will bind her to you and make it impossible for her to betray you. Do it kid. This is the best option you could ever get. Do it."**

'Fine, I am trusting you. I hope I don't regret it.'

" **You won't"** smirked a satisfied fox.

" _ **P-p-please I don't want to die"**_ begged a now haggard looking Yuki. Naruto considered her for a few moments and said "Fine, I want you to swear unconditional loyalty and obedience to me on your life, blood and chakra"

Even in her state Yuki managed to look completely taken aback and not a little miffed _**"How did you know about -"**_ she began, only to be cut off "I have a far greater demon living in my head remember? – The oath NOW!"

" _ **Fine - I swear unconditional obedience and loyalty to you, Naruto Uzumaki, on my life, blood and chakra"**_ ground out Yuki. A ball of pure whitelight started to form around her chest and rose up to Naruto's eye level. **"Touch the light and say 'I accept your oath' brat!"** the Kyuubi instructed.

Naruto did as he was asked and accepted the oath.

"Please remove the chains now Naruto-sama! It hurts!" pleaded Yuki from the ground - now in her human form.

Naruto stared at her a moment longer and mentally commanded the chains to raise Yuki to his eye level before dispersing them. The severely weakened Yuki collapsed bonelessly to the ground.

Naruto, now feeling much better due to the generous 'contribution' from Yuki, easily walked back by himself to the largest tree he could see. He leaned back against the trunk and dosed off comfortably.


	7. Choices

Daylight broke out over the forest and Naruto slowly opened his eyes to the sounds of running springs and leaves rustling in the wind. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was and what he was doing there, before the memories of the previous night came rushing in. He sat up straight and clutched his head in pain as he got rapid flashes of monsters, chains, blood and pain in his head. As the memories settled in place, he began to look around and his eyes settled on a pair of familiar blue-green eyes looking straight at him.

"So, you are finally awake" Yuki greeted Naruto in a cautious tone. He simply stared back silently because he didn't know how to respond. There were a million questions racing through his head at the moment – 'Who is she really? How long has she been here? How does she know my father – Is she lying about it? How could Jiji let a monster like this live in the forests? Have I been here for TWO YEARS? Why had no one come for him? Will that oath protect me or will she eat me after all?'.

As the uncomfortable silence dragged on, the Joro-gumo could only wonder at her lot in life. First, she found a naïve little kid, who then turned out to be the juiciest and most filling piece of meal that she could remember in recent times. His upbringing also helped - he was so starved for attention that she barely had to put an effort into ensnaring him. Oh, how she wished her other victims were as easy. But then, when she thought she had drained the last bit of Chakra from the boy, he went and showed her that he had the Kyuubi in him. She was exhilarated that she had the strongest of the Biju trapped in the weakened body of a child, within easy reach and weakened beyond belief, for her consumption. Then how did everything go SO WRONG dammit? The truth was, she had no idea that the boy could make those chains and even more unexpected were the disrupting and siphoning abilities. And now, she was bound in servitude to the boy with no way out. She was at the mercy of her prey.

"What are you really?" Naruto broke the silence. Yuki looked up at the question.

"I am the Joro-gumo" she replied simply.

"What does that even mean?" Naruto asked impatiently, hints of his normal personality slipping through.

Despite the situation she found herself in, she had to fight down the beginnings of a smile at his tone, "It means just that, Naruto-sama – I am the Joro-gumo, also known as the Demon spider, the Spider Maiden, the Whore Spider – I am a demon that feeds on chakra, in case I wasn't clear enough" she replied with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Why are you here in the forests of Konoha?" came the next wary sounding question.

"I have always been here – since before Konoha existed" Yuki replied in a calm tone.

"Why has Jiji not kicked your ass yet?" Naruto asked bluntly.

Now she may be bound by her oath to the boy to be loyal but, it did nothing to stop her from being pissed "Do you have any idea of who you are speaking to – Naruto-sama" ground out Yuki through clenched teeth. "Your pathetic little Hokage has no power over me. I was given this forest by the one who made it. The first Hokage made this forest my home in exchange for the help I gave him" finished Yuki with a glare.

"What? What kind of help could the Shodai need from you?" asked a suspicious-sounding Naruto.

"I don't feel like like telling you"

"Answer me NOW" demanded a now ticked off blonde.

The moment he made his demand, both Yuki and Naruto felt _something_ shift.

'This is going to be a pleasure; I can already tell' thought Yuki sarcastically as she felt Naruto's demand pull on her oath and urge her to reply.

"Very well, I am the one who helped the Shodai harness Natural energy and attain his sage powers" Yuki replied.

This got the attention of a certain nine tailed fox **"WHAT THE FUCK?! Brat, ask her if she is a sage as well"**

'Huh? What's a sage? And don't shout! you shitty fox!' replied Naruto mentally.

 **"Gone back to being an idiot, have you? And here I was beginning to think that there might be some hope for you after all – Just ask the damn question"** grumbled the fox.

'Ok fine' "Are you a sage as well?" asked Naruto curiously to Yuki.

"Yes and no. I can harness nature energy and use it well too, but I am only a partial sage" admitted Yuki.

"Okay what the hell is this nature energy and what is a sage?"

"If you don't know what a sage is, why did you ask me if I was one?" asked a bemused Yuki.

"The fox told me to" came the simple reply.

That brought up Yuki short. 'A thousand curses! If the fox is listening to everything and can talk to the boy, I won't be able to trick him – this is bad' she worriedly thought to herself.

"Do you know what chakra is?" Yuki asked Naruto.

"Yeah duh, it is the energy that Ninja use to perform kickass Jutsus" Naruto nodded enthusiastically.

"… Close enough. Chakra comes from inside a person's body but Nature energy or senjustsu chakra can be found in the outside world. It is everywhere around us. Those that master the use of nature energy can ascend to sages" explained Yuki.

"So, you taught the Shodai how to use this energy and he let you live here? Just like that? You didn't try to eat him?" asked a suspicious Naruto.

Even being the ancient spider demon that she was, she could not stop flushing at the question. She did not like being reminded of her humiliating defeat so cavalierly.

"Well, answer me" Naruto prodded further.

"Yes, I did try to devour the tree maker – and he defeated me with ease. His damned trees sapped my strength much like your chains. He then proceeded to get another oath out of me to never cause harm to the pathetic vermin who call the village home, in exchange for sparing me. He also forced me to give some of my power to one of his followers and his clan" Yuki replied stiffly.

Naruto could hear the mad cackling of the fox at the story and it was all he could do to not join him. Man, the Kages were all awesome. 'If I learnt how to be a sage like the Shodai, no one would ever mess with me.' **"Forget it kid, to be a sage you need to be strong as a Kage at least. Don't even think about it till you are at that level – provided you survive that long"** warned the fox as he heard Naruto's thoughts.

'Don't worry about me, fox – I will show ya' retorted Naruto, getting only a scoff in return.

"Makes sense that you would try to eat a Hokage" chuckled Naruto as Yuki sniffed at him. "Who did you give your power to?" inquired Naruto curiously.

"The Aburame clan – I gave them the power to commune with and control insects" replied Yuki.

"Insects?! That is so creepy but then again you ARE a spider" mused the boy out loud. Yuki only shrugged in response.

Remembering the more important questions Naruto asked "The fox said I have been here for two years – Is it true?"

"Yes, I kept you under an enchantment as I tried to feed on your power" replied the spider unapologetically.

"Why did you keep me around for so long though?" asked Naruto getting angry again.

"You regained all your chakra overnight after I drained you. This kept happening for a couple of years so I kept you around by putting you under an illusion – I wasn't going to just let you go" shrugged Yuki with an amused expression.

Naruto expected as much and nodded. His face morphed into a mask of determination as he prepared to ask the question that he had been dreading to ask.

"You said the Yondaime was my father and sealed the fox in me – How do you know this? You can't even enter the village – so how could you possibly know?" Naruto asked cautiously.

"First of all, understand that I swore an oath to never hurt the villagers – as long as they don't encroach on my territory or attack me. I can enter whenever I want and I have in the past, in various forms. I don't even live here all the time despite what some believe. Secondly - meet my children." Yuki raised her arm and spiders of various sizes crawled out of her sleeves. "I am the Queen of the spiders Naruto-sama and I see what my children see and hear what they hear" she said nodding to the spiders on her arms. She let the little crawlers go before she stood up and continued her explanation "The night the Kyuubi attacked, I was understandably worried as you can well imagine. I followed the events of the night through my own eyes and those of my children. I saw the fight between the Yondaime and the fox, I saw how he gave his life to stop the fox's rampage and I also witnessed how with the last of his strength he sealed the fox into his son – You."

Naruto still couldn't believe it and Yuki caught the warring expressions on his face.

"If you don't believe me, you could always command me to check if I am telling the truth" offered Yuki. 'Why the hell did I do that? Why would I give him ideas? – Wait a minute, is this the effect of the loyalty oath, I did make it unconditional after all -" Yuki's worried thoughts ran though her head, she was brought out of it by Naruto's next words.

"I order you to tell me if what you told me was the truth" said Naruto blankly.

"Yes. It was the truth" responded Yuki to both the order and the tug at her bond.

Hearing this, Naruto sank further down against the tree. He couldn't believe it, he had some slight hope somewhere that maybe Yuki was lying to him, that just maybe she was mistaken – anything but this. The confirmation hurt.

"Why would he do this to me? Why would he turn me into a monster?" Naruto wondered out loud in worried sounding voice.

"Well, he was the leader of your people and he must have felt that he had no right to ask someone else to sacrifice their child. Maybe he felt that his son would be the only one strong enough to bear the burden. And make no mistake Naruto-sama, you are NOT a monster, you are NOT the Kyuubi – you are its container" came Yuki's soft voice. 'Why the hell am I comforting him?! This damn oath is influencing my mind!'

Naruto looked up hopefully at those words and for the first time that day smiled.

"I will have to ask Jiji once I get back" Naruto muttered to himself nonetheless. All this while, he had been trying to ask the fox about the matter, but the Kyuubi had long since just shut up and refused to answer him.

The boy with the fox in him and the spider demon both fell silent and were lost in their own thoughts for a while.

The sun started climbing higher into the sky when Yuki's voice interrupted Naruto's thoughts.

"What happens now?"

"I will go back to the village, what else" replied Naruto with a raised brow.

"What then?" Yuki persisted.

"I will go become a ninja" Naruto replied, unclear where this was going.

"Oh? Still intend to be the Hokage and win the villagers' approval?" Yuki asked with a smirk.

On hearing the question, Naruto's face became completely blank – He remembered all his thoughts from the night before, he felt his mind racing and, in the end, only one thing remained – "I won't be eaten."

"No, I have had it with the villagers. I will become strong so that no one will hurt me or my friends. I will never be pushed around again" Naruto said with a quiet conviction in his voice that sounded way beyond his eight years of age.

"Yes, I can understand that. You are ninja by birth and to find strength you will have to follow the path of a ninja. You could go back to the village and be treated the same as before but, if it is strength you seek, there is another path … You could -" trailed off Yuki.

"I could -?" inquired Naruto despite himself.

"You could take my hand." and Yuki extended her hand towards Naruto.

Naruto looked towards the village and then down at the hand extended towards him.

He stood there for what felt like forever to him, but in truth was a few moments, before nodding and slipping his hand into Yuki's.


	8. WHERE are my JUTSUS?!!!

As the sun rose the next day over the forests of Konoha, Naruto found himself stirring awake. He woke up in a bed in a fairly big cavern under the cottage he was previously held prisoner in. This, was the inner sanctum of Yuki's lair. Looking around he could see that the cavern was decorated like what he thought a noble's quarters would look like. The walls had natural openings high up which let in some light and provided good visibility. The bed he was in was huge and decadently soft with covers made of the smoothest material he had ever felt. The walls were draped in red and white silk – the same colours that Yuki preferred. The walls had torch sconces every ten feet or so. There were expensive looking cabinets and trinkets all around the room. The far end of the room had a pool of water that opened up to the outside world, he could see a curtain of water falling over said opening – likely from a water source from above and feeding the stream the pool was a part of.

As he was taking in his surroundings, he felt a stirring next to him. Turning around he came face to face with a wide-awake Yuki.

"Good Morning, Naruto-sama" came the soft greeting. Naruto replied in kind.

"When did I get here? What am I doing here? Where is here? – and WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH ME?!" Naruto rattled off getting increasingly louder.

Yuki simply stretched before turning her attention to him "Well, after you made your decision yesterday – which is the best thing you ever did, mind you – we set off towards, well, here. You collapsed halfway … seems like you aren't as recovered as you think. I carried you rest of the way and here you are."

"Oh okay – but why are you in bed with me?" asked a still flustered Naruto.

"I live here and this is my bed. Do you see another bed anywhere around? Besides, do you really mind waking up next to a woman as beautiful as I?" asked Yuki with a teasing smile and a suggestive lilt to her voice.

As Naruto continued to stammer, she decided to get up and slid out of the bed. If Naruto was flustered before, it was nothing compared to what he felt now – Yuki was wearing just a thin, short slip of cloth which could barely be called sleepwear and was almost transparent. Yuki noticed Naruto's eyes and his rapid reddening and spoke in a breathy voice all the while leaning slowly forward "Do you like what you see Na-ru-to-sama?"

Now Naruto was logically aware that Yuki was actually a demon who had been sucking on him like a lozenge for two years and was on the verge of biting down and swallowing him whole like the hard bit at the end that just doesn't melt - as recently as the day before the last. She even admitted to it and spared him only after a liberal number of stabbings and a blood oath. But even this knowledge and all the proof he had didn't detract from the fact that Yuki was an exquisite beauty with very little clothing on.

Taking pity on the poor blonde in her bed, Yuki with one last smirk sashayed off towards the pool to get changed. 'This might be fun after all'

In the meantime, an embarrassed Naruto had just fallen back onto the bed and hid under the covers all the while cursing himself for freezing up. Now, due to the sounds of splashing, he was only too aware of Yuki in a pool barely forty feet away from the bed he was in. A wet, nude Yuki. As his anxiety continued to spiral and he lay under the covers with his eyes shut for who knows how long, he heard the tinkling laugh that he was all too familiar with. "Naruto-sama, I am decent again. You can come out now" came Yuki's voice. Naruto peeked out of the covers and sighed in relief and a little disappointment to see a fully clothed Yuki staring down at him with a smirk.

"The pool is yours, get ready so that we can begin our day."

Naruto nodded and headed towards the pool when Yuki's voice floated over to him "Although, to save time, I think it best that we share the pool from tomorrow on. It is big enough for the two of us"

Naruto blushed even harder and turned around to glare at Yuki – all he saw was a laughing Yuki disappearing up the stairs leading.

Naruto got a move on and found an outfit waiting for him on a slab near the pool – It was a traditional white kimono with a spider web pattern on the sleeves. There was also a white Hakama with web patterns accompanied by a blood red obi. 'Where did she get these?'

Ignoring the odd clothes, he got into the pool and quickly washed up. He changed into the provided outfit and carefully made his way up.

Emerging from the opening in the ground he could clearly see the run-down cottage he was held prisoner in, a short way off. Looking around a bit more he caught sight of Yuki sitting on a rock in the middle of a clearing.

"My, my you look wonderful in those clothes, Naruto-sama" said a smiling Yuki.

"What happens now?" asked Naruto ignoring Yuki's comments.

"Now, you grow stronger" said Yuki simply.

"Your return to Konoha is inevitable. My objective is to make you strong enough to survive the world beyond this forest. I swear to you, when the time comes for you to return to Konoha, you will be able to face whatever they throw at you" continued Yuki.

"So, where do we start?"

"At the very beginning. Your body is too weak to be trained so we will start with your chakra" replied Yuki.

"Please sit on the ground and follow my instructions"

Naruto wordlessly complied and assumed a basic meditation posture with his legs folded and arms resting in his lap. Yuki nodded in approval and continued her first lesson.

"In this world, chakra is the currency of power. The more you have, the stronger you are. However, just like money and riches, if you waste your chakra, it won't matter how much you have – you will still be weak. You have a great amount of chakra Naruto-sama and that is without counting the fox in you. Your first target is to find your chakra and refine your control over it."

Naruto was listening with rapt attention to every single word that Yuki was uttering. He considered her words and saw the merit in them.

"How do I control it?"

"First, you have to meditate and find your core. Then you have to observe how the chakra flows in your own body. After that, comes manipulating the flows and controlling the amount of flow."

"Can't learning Jutsus help me learn control?" asked a slightly daunted Naruto. All this talk of meditation made him realise that there was a lot of sitting still involved and he wasn't really the best person for it.

"Come now, if you learn justsus without control, no matter how many jutsus you do your control won't improve" admonished Yuki "Also, I don't know any jutsus" she added.

The first part of her speech was a bit of a downer but the last addition had him up in arms "WHAT! What do you mean you don't know any jutsus? How are you supposed to make me strong then? Huh?"

Just as he was done with his little rant, he was suddenly hit in the face by a very strong stream of water that sent him tumbling down the clearing.

Soaked and spluttering he quickly got up to his feet and stomped back to a smirking Yuki. "What the hell was that? You just said you don't know any jutsus!" he raged at her.

"Yeah well it wasn't a jutsu" came the reply.

"Huh? You just made some water throw me all the way down the clearing" said a confused and angry Naruto.

"Exactly! I MADE the water do it because of my control over Suiton or water chakra. I don't need a 'Jutsu' because my control over water is absolute" Yuki calmly explained to Naruto.

"That is so cool! So, you are saying that with enough control I can do jutsus with my mind?" asked a now excited Naruto.

"… Close enough" shrugged Yuki. "Tell me Naruto-sama how many jutsus did the Kyuubi know? Do you think that a giant fox was making hand-seals before blasting everything in his path?"

Naruto just nodded silently as he saw the point Yuki was trying to make. "Now don't get me wrong, even the strongest shinobi need some hand-seals to perform their justsus but with enough control you can cut down on the number of seals required and with enough practice you might also do some of them without seals. But you NEED CONTROL for that. Do you understand me?"

"Watch" said Yuki as she proceeded to draw the moisture from his clothes and hair. With a twirl of her hand all the moisture coalesced into a floating ball of water the size of a football. She held it for a moment before letting it fall to the ground. Naruto could only look on in amazement at what he could only describe as magic. "Do you understand why control is necessary?"

Naruto nodded his understanding. "Good, then meditate and try to find the source of power in you."

"Clear your mind of all thoughts" came Yuki's voice

Naruto followed the instructions and started his meditation. The funny thing about meditation is that by trying to quieten your mind you realise just how loud it can get. And nobody could accuse Naruto of possessing a quiet mind. Naruto started visibly fidgeting.

Yuki noticed this and warned him to sit still. But it clearly had no effect and soon enough an exasperated Naruto exploded "How am I supposed to clear my mind huh? I can't help it okay?! My mind just won't shut up".

Yuki simply sighed 'This is going to suck … great, now I am picking up his language as well'

"You won't succeed by trying to shut up every thought. Pick a thought and follow it to the end. Lay every thought to rest. That is the only way you will achieve silence" Yuki instructed.

"Gah! That will take forever Yuki!" protested a horrified Naruto.

"Do you have anywhere to be?" asked Yuki testily. On seeing Naruto gulp and shake his head she continued "It's a good thing we have time then, isn't it? – Get to it."

Naruto kept on trying till the end of the day but to no avail. Yuki and Naruto retired for the night to come back and try the next day.

The next day begun with more of the same awkwardness of a near-nude Yuki teasing Naruto to distraction. They reached the clearing and Naruto resumed his attempts to find mental peace and hopefully his chakra core. He was met with no more success than the previous day.

This cycle continued for a fair few days and, in that time, despite the lack of success in the meditation, there was a visible change in Naruto's demeanour - the hyper activeness wasn't all gone, but it had been tempered by a more level headed disposition. Naruto wasn't as loud … all the time. He had learned to switch to a calmer persona fairly quickly. In the meantime, his body was also healing and miraculously enough, had healed almost completely. Even stranger was the fact that his growth did not seem to be affected by the two years of imprisonment and emaciation. He was on the taller side for his age even.

It was nearly three weeks later, that Naruto finally saw the chakra source in him. He only caught glimpse of a mass of a shifting Blue-white light inside him and that shocked him out of his meditative state.

"I did it! I saw my chakra!" whooped an overjoyed Naruto. The commotion woke Yuki out of her musings.

She looked down with an amused smile at the blonde's celebration "Well done, Naruto-sama! Can you describe it for me?"

"Huh? Oh yeah – Well it looked like a blue light and I only saw it for a second, but I totally saw it!" exclaimed Naruto.

"Good, good, that is the first step done – now that you can see your chakra, I can teach you how to mould it and use it. Are you ready to become strong then?" asked Yuki happily.

"Yosh! I was born ready. Bring it Yuki!" replied a grinning Naruto.


	9. I did WHAT?!!!

It was a full moon and the light bathed the entire forest cover of Konoha in a silver glow. The rustling of the leaves in the wind caused its shadows to dance in and out of the light, like a child teasing its friend and running back, only to do it over and over again. This idyllic night scene was suddenly interrupted by a blur of movement too fast for a normal human to see. The ninjas would call it low chunin at the very least. The blur sped around on the ground in haphazard patterns as if chasing an elusive super-fast rabbit. This continued for a good while before the blur came to a sudden stop to reveal a ticked off looking Naruto Uzumaki.

"Okay, where the hell are you woman?!" shouted Naruto scaring a bunch of forest critters awake.

"Fu fu fu …" echoed a taunting laugh seemingly from every direction. Naruto looked around frantically, alert for the slightest sign of movement. Every time one of the branches swayed, he flinched as if it would jump at him. This continued for a while before Naruto threw up his arms and shouted in to the air "I give up! Come out now!"

The shrubbery parted for a woman of exquisite beauty to walk out as if she were on a leisurely stroll. She wore a thin white silk yukata which hugged her sinful curves almost like a second skin. The Yukata hung loosely over her upper arms exposing her shoulders and was parted enough to provide a deliciously scandalous view of her generous yet perky breasts. Keeping it together was a thin obi the colour of freshly drawn blood. She wore her white blonde hair in an elegantly designed loose bun which was held in place by a pair of ten-inch-long dark red needles. Her beautiful face was adorned with a seductive smirk that teased all that saw it with promises of wonders and pleasures unimaginable.

The normal reaction to such beauty would be instant adulation, praise and yearning; but the nine-year-old Naruto Uzumaki's face held only annoyance for this particular vision of beauty. Why? You ask. The reason was that the beauty in question, who was actually an ancient spider demon, also known as the Joro-gumo - who was also less than a year ago press ganged into servitude to Naruto by way of an oath made under pain of death - was currently teaching him the finer points of chakra enhancement and control through what had to be one of the most annoying method known to man or demon - an unwinnable game of tag.

"Naruto-sama if I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times" began Yuki with an infuriatingly mocking smile "Just because you can sense my general location does not mean you can find me. There are plenty of places for me to hide after all."

Naruto just stared at her with mounting annoyance.

It was almost a year ago that he had touched his own chakra intentionally for the first time and since then, Yuki had been training him on how to channel chakra in his body to move faster and sharpen his senses, among other things. In the course of her instruction Yuki had found that Naruto was a sensor – a talent that was rarer than precious gems and many times more valuable in the world of shinobi. She had put together a training exercise that worked on all of his current skills. The exercise by itself was very simple as a concept. It was a game of tag mixed with hide and seek. She would litter the forest with web traps of her own design and then proceed to hide somewhere. Naruto had to sense her location and get to her while dealing with all the traps in his path.

Sounds simple, right? The reality couldn't be further from the truth. Each trap was made with the cunning expertise of a creature whose very purpose in life was to ensnare and devour. She was also a master at suppressing her own chakra through a combination of chakra control and nature energy manipulation, which she used to literally blend into the fabric of the world. Any bursts of chakra that Naruto could catch were few and far between and, he was missing less and less as the days went by. To Yuki, this was astounding progress – not that she would say it to his face. Naruto on the other hand was growing exceedingly frustrated as he could feel her slipping through his fingers every single time.

"Again! I want to go again!" said an irate Naruto.

"Naruto-sama it is getting late. We can always pick it up tomorrow" countered Yuki.

Naruto had had enough. He simply dug his heels in and refused to budge "No! I want another chance. Tonight! Now!"

Seeing from her experience that there would be no budging him, Yuki agreed with a slight shrug "If you want to run around aimlessly even more, don't let me stop you."

That got a growl out of Naruto. "Let's change the rules a bit Naruto-sama. We begin the chase right now. I won't hide. This will be a regular game of tag" Yuki offered.

"Let's go!"

With that shout, the two of them burst into twin blurs of motion. The chase continued for a long time. Each time Naruto got close enough to grab her, Yuki would get just a little bit faster to avoid him by a couple of inches. This kept on happening and then suddenly in his frustration Naruto could feel something build up inside of him. A feeling of his chakra churning in his belly before he automatically spat out a glob of _something_ at Yuki's back. This shocked the both of them so much that Yuki, in a haste to avoid the glob dodged _into_ Naruto's path and, Naruto, who was too busy considering the glob to notice the new obstacle in his path, collided hard and tumbled to the forest floor in a heap of limbs.

Coming to a rolling stop, Naruto found his face squished against a soft bare breast and another equally beautiful mammary touching his face. It took him a moment to realise his situation and he immediately shot up and scooted back. "Aww that felt so nice" moaned Yuki "especially after that nasty fall. Won't you show your servant some love Naruto-sama?" continued Yuki in a teasing tone.

She casually sat up, unmindful of the yukata that had slipped completely off her upper body and was held in place only by the obi at her waist. Despite having seen her in various stages of undress over the period of their co-habitation, Naruto blushed just as hard as his first time and averted his eyes.

Mumbling at Yuki to cover herself and get up, Naruto got to his own feet and remembered the glob that caused the fall. Yuki must have had the same thought because somehow the next instant she was immaculately dressed and already moving towards the place where the glob landed.

Retracing their steps, they found themselves at the tree that had been the recipient of the glob. Both of them got closer to it. Naruto poked the whitish substance to find that it felt strong but malleable at the same time just like a ball of – WEB!

The realisation caused his eyes to widen and he turned around in panicked confusion to Yuki for some answers. He turned to see Yuki with a strange expression on her face, she looked shocked, worried, happy and relieved all at the same time.

"So, I just shot a ball of web out of my mouth …" Naruto began uncertainly.

"So you did" came the slightly dazed reply.

"Hey! What the hell did I just do?! What the hell happened?!" Naruto shouted getting worked up.

"I was expecting something like this to happen … but for it to happen this soon …" Yuki was mumbling to herself.

Naruto heard this and decided to snap her out of it. Reaching up to her shoulders he shook her hard "Hey why am I shooting webs all over the place? Did you know about this? Answer me now! I am freaking out here!"

Yuki took a moment to collect herself before replying "Naruto-sama, it is best that you sit down for this bit" she gestured to a nearby stump. Naruto was about to protest when he thought the better of it and decided to comply.

Once he settled down, Yuki said "I need you to listen to me patiently, please don't interrupt until I am through."

Receiving a hesitant nod, she smiled and continued "The night you defeated me changed the both of us in ways that I could never have imagined. When you drained my chakra, it affected you more than just physically. You didn't just replenish and increase your own reserves, you clearly absorbed some of my abilities as well. I had noticed this in little things but could never be sure – until now that is. The ease with which you learnt to stick to surfaces, the unnatural comfort and balance you display, your increased flexibility, your slowly changing nature …" Yuki trailed off.

"Does that mean I am turning into a spider demon like you?" asked a worried Naruto.

"No, not at all. I can sense your body and your chakra Naruto-sama. It just means that you have received some of my abilities. Humans cannot turn into yokai, so don't worry about turning into a spider" Yuki replied with a slight smile.

"So, what did you mean by my changing nature?"

"When you first came to me, you were a loud, bright and happy child. Despite what I put you through you still remain that way" Yuki said with a slightly apologetic look, "However, you have slowly built another side to you that is focused, with a single-minded determination when it comes to a target. You have started to act like a predator – My very own little spider!" Yuki happily explained

"So, what happens now?" asked a noticeably calmer Naruto.

"Now, we go to sleep. We will figure out what to do tomorrow"

Naruto nodded at the suggestion and the two of them blurred into the forest.

"Oh, and Naruto-sama? Congratulations on your first piece of Ninjutsu."


	10. CHAKRAAAA

"It is time for you to begin the next stage of your education. You have gained enough control to be able to walk on water and move through the trees like me. I have shown you how to use chakra to strengthen yourself and move faster. You have learned how to move like a predator – unseen and unheard. Most importantly, you have learned to be patient" lectured Yuki the morning after Naruto's inadvertent Ninjutsu.

Naruto sat listening in rapt attention, calm on the outside but bursting at the seams with excitement on the inside.

"Do you remember my lesson on chakra natures?" receiving a nod from the blonde she continued "Your chakra has settled enough for me to now find out your affinity"

"What do I have to do?" asked a seemingly calm Naruto.

"Just keep pulsing your chakra steadily until I tell you to stop"

Naruto immediately closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. Reaching into his core he started flaring it for Yuki.

Yuki was an ancient being tied deeply to chakra and as such she could sense chakra to an extent that was far beyond the scope of any human. As she breathed in the power that Naruto was exuding, images started flashing through her head. She found herself floating in the air, witnessing gales strong enough to tear the ground apart. She saw lightning ridden skies shooting gigantic bolts down at the forest below. She saw a part of the forest consumed by a raging forest fire. And cutting through the forest was an unstoppable raging river. As she kept looking around, she could also make out what could only be a gigantic black and red spider sitting unmoving in its web high up on the branches of the biggest tree – which oddly enough, remained untouched by the storm.

Having seen enough she came out of the trance state that she had gone into. Seeing her come to, Naruto stopped flaring his chakra.

"Well. What did you see?" asked an excited Naruto.

She considered him for a moment before replying "I have got great news for you Naruto-sama. It appears that you have four of the five nature transformations available to you, along with some of my powers".

Naruto could only sit back in astonishment at the news and stare at Yuki's smiling face. "But I thought someone could have only two elements!" Naruto said in shock.

"That is not true for everybody. The tree maker had access to all five elements and he was not the only one. I also believe that me and the Kyuubi might have a hand in this too"

"What do you mean?"

"You have an affinity for Wind, Lightning, Water and Fire elements. I believe that wind and lightning are your original elements and, that you received the water and fire elements from me and Kyuubi respectively."

This threw Naruto for a loop and he was lost in his thoughts for a few moments. He was brought out of it by Yuki's words – "While this is great news, I only have mastery over the water element and senjutsu chakra. I won't be able to train your other elements"

"What do I do then?"

"You will go to school like everybody else" laughed Yuki.

"Wait. What?"

"I will instruct you in the use of neutral and suiton chakra. But, in order to reach your full potential, you will have to go back to your 'shinobi' and learn from them" Yuki said with a particularly disdainful emphasis on the word shinobi.

"Come on, Naruto-sama. We always knew that your return to Konoha was inevitable. This just means that it will be sooner than we first anticipated"

Naruto could see the logic in her words. He knew that he had grown very strong in the past year but every so often he would find himself longing to return to Konoha.

"What is the plan then?"

"Like I said, we begin training your chakra abilities. I intend for us to keep at it for at least two years. Then it will be time for your return. We start tomorrow, so rest well tonight Naruto-sama"

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The next morning found both Yuki and Naruto standing in the middle of a stream. "The first lesson for you is to project your chakra outside your body. Get in touch with your chakra and push it out so that you divert the flow of water. Do it till you manage to part it and force it to flow around you."

Her instructions issued, Yuki jumped up and settled herself comfortably in one of the branches of a tree. Naruto looked down at the knee-deep stream and focused himself. 'Focus my chakra. Done. Send it out. Done. Now to shape it and stop the water." Repeating the steps in his head Naruto could clearly visualise a conical wedge made of chakra in front of him. Forcing his chakra into the desired shape, he began to see a little difference in the surface of the stream as if it was trying to curl around an invisible stone. Encouraged with his progress, he poured in more chakra until he could see a visible shape made of chakra trying to stem the flow of water.

"Good going Naruto-sama. That is a great start. Now you only have to put up the barrier quicker and make sure the edges aren't hazy and crumbling. It shows that the chakra construct is not stable" came Yuki's voice from above.

Naruto kept practicing late into the evening and finally managed to get his chakra wedge to reach deep enough to split the stream around him in two, leaving him standing on a dry bit of stream bed.

"Excellent work! Keep this up and we will be done much sooner than I first thought" Yuki exclaimed from the banks.

Naruto was so involved in his task that Yuki's voice startled him and caused him to lose focus on the barrier he was maintaining. As a result, the water rushed back into position and Naruto lost his footing and fell into the water. A drenched and spluttering Naruto got to his feet to see an amused looking Yuki staring down at him. Despite his situation, he couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed. He had just split a stream in two with his mind!

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"Today we will start on actual combat. You have learnt the basics of movement; it is time to put those lessons into practice. I do not have a formalised style like your ninjas. I simply use my strength, wits and instincts to attack and defend" began Yuki's lecture a few days after Naruto split the stream.

She found that Naruto had the basics down and could safely practice on his own, so, she decided to start his combat instruction. "Like I have said before, because of absorbing my chakra you have gone through a few changes. You are much stronger and faster than normal humans, your flexibility and agility are enhanced to an unnatural degree. All we have to do now is train your instincts and reaction times"

"Yosh! What do I have to do?" asked an excited Naruto

"I am so glad you asked Naruto-sama" Yuki replied with a smile that sent chills down Naruto's spine – Naruto started backing away despite the knowledge that Joro-gumo or not, she was powerless to harm him on account of the oath.

"All you have to do is … **DODGE** " Yuki burst into a flurry of blows directed towards him.

It was only because he had already started moving away, that Naruto dodged the first two swipes. The third swipe blindsided him and sent him face first into the ground.

"What the hell was THAT?!" screamed an outraged Naruto after getting his head out of the ground.

"THAT was a taste of things to come if you don't start dodging, Naruto-sama" replied Yuki, getting ready to strike again.

Seeing her wind up, Naruto frantically scrambled away "W-wait there has to be some other way to train my reaction times, right?"

"I am afraid not, the only way to develop your instincts is to actually engage them. I am so sorry Naruto-sama. Prepare yourself" Yuki said with an altogether too pleased smile.

Before Naruto could protest Yuki burst into motion again. Naruto's self-preservation instincts kicked in as he ran around ducking and dodging. The tort-uh-training continued late into the afternoon.

"I think that's enough for today" Yuki called a halt to the merry little chase she had Naruto on. Naruto collapsed to his knees in relief, he was hurting all over because of the 'training'.

"Naruto-sama take some rest and then continue with your chakra control exercise. We will be doing this every day from now on, instinct training in the mornings and chakra exercises in the afternoon" Naruto's heart sank at the declaration.

Naruto's life fell into a comfortable routine of getting his ass handed to him in the mornings and taking out his frustrations on innocent water bodies in the evenings.

After a month he found that he wasn't as beaten up at the end of his morning sessions as before and he could snap up barriers in the stream at a moment's notice.

A month later he found that he could not only dodge a considerable number of Yuki's attacks, but also notice some slight openings in Yuki's defences. He had moved up to attempting to outright block the flow of the stream with a wall of chakra instead of just trying to redirect the flow around him.

Two months after that, Naruto could actually begin to strike back, not that any connected. In his book it was still better than flat out running for his life like a few months ago. In the meantime, he had moved on to working on redirecting the flow of the river around him. He had also started working on his suiton chakra manipulation.

Naruto's training continued for the rest of the year and he continued to grow by leaps and bounds much to the delight of Yuki. Yuki couldn't be any happier with Naruto's progress; she couldn't afford to have a master that would be anything less than the strongest among his kind and Naruto was shaping up nicely in her opinion. While he still had years before he matured and reached his potential, Yuki couldn't help but be excited at the prospect of the kind of powerful man Naruto would later become.


	11. First Forays

A now ten-year-old Naruto sat on the surface of the river in a relaxed meditative pose. All of a sudden, a couple of rocks whizzed towards him from the banks at incredible speeds. As soon as the rocks got within ten feet of Naruto, who still had his eyes shut, a couple of tendrils of water rose up and pulled the rocks into the river below. The moment the waters settled again Naruto opened his eyes with a smile.

Hidden on the banks of the river, Yuki could only nod in appreciation at the level of control and awareness Naruto was displaying. Her moment was interrupted however, when Naruto's head swung sharply in her direction and his eyes locked on to her general area. The hunt was on.

In the past year Naruto's sensor abilities had developed by leaps and bounds, now capable of detecting the slightest of fluctuations within 300 metres. His chakra control had improved to the point where barriers and intermediate levels of water shaping and manipulation were second nature to him. His body and physical abilities had bloomed as well, with his speed now being what most would term high chunin to low jonin and his strength at an impressive low chunin level.

While Naruto wasn't fast enough to catch Yuki, who herself was at least a Kage level entity (without using senjutsu), he could at least stay in the game with a combination of his sensor abilities, ingenuity and speed. Yuki had stopped taking it too easy on him as it became more and more difficult for her to avoid his detection.

As their daily game of deadly tag came to an end, Yuki pulled him aside and spoke "Naruto-sama allow me to first tell you how pleased I am with your progress. You have exceeded my expectations and I am sure you will continue to do so."

Naruto could only blush at the praise coming from his usually exacting teacher.

"I think it is time that we put your skills to some real use" Yuki finished.

Naruto looked up at her in curiosity 'What does she mean real use?'

"I hope you haven't forgotten what I really am" Yuki started. Naruto had to shake himself as he realised he had done just that – his continued living and training with Yuki had slowly driven the little fact from his mind that she was a demon who had tried to eat him a scant couple of years ago.

Yuki could read Naruto's expression plain as day and derived no little enjoyment at his mental state being so clearly broadcasted. "I have never harmed a villager who didn't first encroach on my territory, but, the biggest number of intruders come from outside the village. To our west is the Land of Wind, and for years I have been intercepting and feasting on would be spies. There are also bands of Yokai hunters who come to me looking to earn fame by claiming my head. The fact that I am standing here with my head intact should tell you how successful they were."

Naruto considered her words carefully and came to a realisation. "Ever since I found out that the Shodai let you make your home so close to his village, I had been doubting his intelligence. But now, after hearing what you just said, I think the man was a genius – not only did he get you to share your power with the village, he also got a guardian in you" Naruto said with an impressed expression.

"Yes, well, he didn't leave me much of a choice" Yuki replied with a slight blush.

"Why are you telling me all this though?"

"This forest is a giant web, MY web. Nothing happens here without me knowing about it. As of this morning, I picked up a band of intruders breaching the outermost perimeter of the forest. I wish to test your skills against them" declared Yuki.

Until this point the possibility of actual combat and killing had been a real but very distant concept. On hearing Yuki's proposal his mind went into overdrive 'Am I ready? Will I be able to kill? What happens if I fail? What if they are too strong?'

Yuki could see the slight panic he was exhibiting and was honestly feeling a little disappointed. Just as she was about to offer him the option of sitting this one out, Naruto's entire demeanour changed. He stood up straighter and his eyes gained a focused look "I am ready" he said simply.

There it was! Yuki had seen this happen in the past when he was faced with a particularly difficult problem. Naruto would completely give up his inhibitions and doubts and focus all his willpower on the problem at hand. Every time she saw this she thrilled as she viewed it as Naruto channelling his predatory instincts.

While Yuki was drawing her own conclusions, there was only one thought in Naruto's head – 'I won't be eaten.'

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As night fell Yuki and Naruto reached the area where the intruders were camped. Naruto looked about in interest at the part of the forest they were in. This part was denser with a much more forbidding aura. High up in the branches he could see what could only be described as gigantic cocoons. Looking at them he felt a sense of unease and fear – the fact that they seemed just about the right size to contain a man didn't help any. Despite himself he asked Yuki "What are those cocoons?" Yuki looked at him for a moment before replying with an evil smile "I think you already know"

They continued till they reached the camp. Sitting high up in the branches of a tree Yuki turned to Naruto "Well?"

Naruto cast out his senses "I can sense six men on the ground and four more in the trees. We can go closer, I think"

With that Naruto and Yuki shifted to a tree closer to the camp. "Tell me more" Yuki said simply.

Naruto pushed a little chakra to his eyes and then he could see everything clearly. It was a recently awakened ability stemming from Yuki's chakra. "They are all carrying weapons. There seems to be a mix of bowmen and blade users. Most of them feel weak but two of their number are much stronger than the rest"

"Hmph! Seem to be a bunch of pathetic Yokai hunters. How do you want to handle this?" prodded Yuki.

Naruto considered the situation for a few moments before replying "They have weapon users, so, facing them on open ground would be difficult. We should draw them deeper into the forest where they will have difficulty seeing and their weapons won't be as effective. Also, the mix of ranged weapons and blades suggest that they work as a unit so I think we should try and split them up."

Yuki was pleased with the analysis "Very good Naruto-sama. What should we do?"

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Baku Fuma belonged to a branch family of the Fuma clan and was part of the faction that left the Land of Rice Fields. He used to be part of a wandering nin group who offered their services to whoever would hire them - mostly for extortion, debt collection and assorted wet-works. It was a good life until he went, and, in a drunken rage, raped and killed a merchant's daughter. The grieving father offered all he had to one of the great ninja villages, he didn't know which, and overnight his band was slaughtered to the last man – he survived only by diving into a sewer and washing out into the river.

Realising that his career as a wandering nin was over, he skipped town and found himself joining a band of 'Yokai hunters'. The work was easy - most of the time, it would actually be an infestation of wild animals creating a racket in the night, that had the simple country folk scared – easy money. The few times that he had actually come across an actual Yokai, he hadn't faced anything he would rate greater than a pest. All he had ever faced were little tengu like creatures – crafty little shits, but they fell to his blade just as easy as any man.

His band was in a small village, one of the many situated on the western border of the Land of Fire, when they heard talk of a spider Yokai living deep in the forests. Figuring that it couldn't be anything more than chakra mutated spiders, he negotiated a contract with the elders of the village for a reward of 75,000 ryo in exchange for the spider Yokai's head. And that is how he came to be on the edge of the forest in the company of his merry band.

Baku and his troupe had just decided on a plan of action. They would simply go in, start setting fire to the forest and they would kill whatever was flushed out. He called out to the members stationed up in the trees, and started getting angry when he got no replies 'What the fuck is wrong with Giichi and Koji? Those fuckers better have a good reason for not answering!' He repeated the call sign again to no avail. Looking at the pitch-dark forest he felt a tinge of worry mingling with his anger.

Baku was about to call out to the available members when he saw a flash of white in the treeline. Dismissing it as a trick of the light he was about to move forward when he saw it again. As he watched, the white figure got closer and closer till he was able to make out a feminine figure – a VERY feminine figure. While he was busy watching the woman, he didn't realise that the others had joined him in watching as well. The figure then moved behind a tree and didn't come out again. Turning to the other members he asked "You lot saw her as well didn't ya?".

One of the more sensible members spoke up in a nervous voice "Boss, I don't like this, something is off, we should head back."

Hearing that Baku scoffed "Don't be a pussy. I think it's most probably some sort of medicine woman who lives nearby"

"Oh, yeah? Why aren't the boys responding to us then?" the same person asked.

"It's obvious they went sniffing after the woman and moved out of hearing range" Baku replied ignoring a small nagging sensation in the back of his mind.

"Don't be a coward man, these 'Yokai' are nothing but chakra mutated beasts, keep your wits about you and besides, if a woman of all things is moving about, I don't expect to find much danger. So, let's go introduce ourselves, shall we?" leered Baku.

That got a reaction out of his men as they readily agreed and marched into the treeline.


	12. THAT is not the forest of death! THIS is the forest of death!

Naruto couldn't believe the fools were walking to their deaths so easily. Sure, Yuki had used a bit of her enchantment to mess with their minds, but that was no excuse for such a pathetic display of will.

Yuki on the other hand, couldn't help but snort to herself. These humans were so pitiful that the weakest of her enchantments had them abandoning their sense of self-preservation in favour of their lust. She only wondered how her little surprises would be received.

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Baku and his gang kept on moving deeper into the jungle. He was getting pissed, there was no sign of the four he had lost earlier, no animals – much less any Yokai and most importantly, there was no sign of the woman. He was about to start setting fire to everything in sight out of pure frustration, when he felt his senses warn him of impending danger. Jumping to the side, he barely avoided an arrow which flew past him and lodged itself in the eye of the man behind him.

Baku immediately regained his feet, ninja training kicking in. He promptly dove for cover and peeked out from behind it and saw that the remaining members had followed his example. He looked up to see a bowman sitting on a branch high up on the tree. As he watched, the bowman notched another arrow with slow jerky movements and aimed in the direction of his men. Suddenly there was the flash of a blade in his peripheral vision. He could only look on in confusion and mounting anger, as Koji shuffled out from behind a tree and slashed his tanto at one of the men.

The man caught the movement and jumped up to avoid it. He successfully avoided the blade and was about to retaliate, when his expression twisted in pain. Looking down at his chest he could see the point and the shaft of an arrow emerging from it, he dropped dead a moment later.

Baku was infuriated, he always knew Giichi wanted to be the leader of the group, he just had never expected him to attack in this manner. "YOU FUCKING BASTARDS! You think you can take me down and replace me? ME? I am a Fuma, you fuckwits! I am going to rip you limb from limb!" raged Baku at Giichi, who was high up in the tree. The remaining four members decided to cut their losses and run back the way they came. "Run you cowards! Just pray I don't find you after I am done with these two here!" Baku shouted at the retreating backs of his comrades.

Turning his attention to Giichi and Koji, he decided to get rid of the bigger threat – the archer with the high ground. Using a shunshin to appear next to Giichi he violently lunged at him with a kunai, managing to run him through with almost no effort. As Giichi dropped to the ground, he scoffed at his sprawled body "Did that weak fucker really think he could beat ME with that level of skill?"

Turning his attention to Koji, who he knew to be far inferior to him in skill and strength, he decided to finish him off with a simple rush. Just as he slashed his kunai down at him at a very odd angle, Koji's arm which held the tanto, dislocated with a sickening sound, to bring the blade around to block Baku's kunai.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Baku screamed, horrified. Capitalising on his moment of shocked hesitation, Koji shuffled forward and slashed down with a strength that Baku didn't remember him possessing. As Baku struggled to win the blade lock, he heard an odd keening groan issue from Koji's mouth "B-B-Bak-ku Ruuuun". Those words terrified him beyond anything he could remember. With the fresh infusion of adrenaline that his fear generated, the fog affecting his mind was lifted. He could only look on with horror as he took in Koji's entire appearance. He was moving about like someone had made a puppet out of his broken body. Now that he looked closer, he could see strings made of what seemed like spider web, attached to various parts of Koji's body jerking him around and forcing him to move.

Just as he was about to disengage and run, he felt the approach of another arrow from behind. He gracelessly dived to the ground to have the arrow sail past him and lodge itself in Koji this time. He looked back to see Giichi with a hole in this chest shuffling towards him and notching yet another arrow. All the while Koji's body had just jerked a bit before turning towards him.

Deciding that he had had enough of this hellish forest, Baku dropped a couple of smoke pellets. Utilising the cover of the smokescreen, he made a mad dash back the way he came. Just as he burst into a clearing he remembered passing through, his eyes were drawn to the silhouette of one of his men. Instead of feeling relieved, his spirits fell even further when he noticed quite a few things off about the scene - mainly, that the man had his head on backwards and was suspended mid-air.

Screeching to a halt at the sight, he looked about frantically, only to find the broken and mutilated bodies of the other three who fled from Giichi and Koji, suspended from various trees. Even more horrifying, it seemed they were alive, judging by the pained moans and groans. He was broken out of his shocked state by the sound of a woman's humming.

Turning around he came face to face with a vision of absolute beauty. Just the sight of her was enough to make him hard, in spite of the terror he was feeling at the moment. The woman just strolled into the clearing casually, as if seeing mutilated corpses hanging from trees on her daily walks was normal for her.

"Hello there, shinobi-san" greeted Yuki. Baku almost came right then and there at the sound of her voice. Fighting against the pleasure, he managed to raise a shaking hand and point the kunai in it at her. "S-Stay away f-from me you BITCH!" gasped out Baku, who was doing all he could to stop himself from passing out due to the sensory overload of pleasure and fear - just from being in her presence.

"Y-you d-demon bitch! you killed my group! Stay away from me! Leave me the fuck alone!" spat Baku weakly. "Now, now. Is that any way to speak to a lady?" Yuki returned in a mock chiding tone.

"I want something from you. If you are able to be of use to me, I will let you go. If you decline …" Yuki trailed off.

"A-anything, just let me live" begged Baku.

"Excellent!" Yuki said happily and withdrew her aura "I may have hurt your little friends, but it was done under the directions of another … I want you to fight him."

Now that he was able to breathe without wanting to pass out Baku's mind was racing 'What the fuck kind of monster was giving HER directions? She wants me to fight it?! At least if I agree I might have a small chance to win, if I don't, I will at least die in battle and not as some meat puppet'

"I a-accept"

"Wonderful! Thank you for your co-operation" Yuki replied. "Naruto-sama! If you would please join us …" Yuki called out behind her.

Whatever he had expected, it certainly wasn't what he saw before him now. He had been expecting a hideous looking demon or something, not a little boy who looked like he couldn't be more than ten. "You … uh … want me to fight a child?" asked a thoroughly confused Baku.

"Yes. Although you could always decline …"

"No! No! I will do what you ask! Whatever you ask!" begged Baku.

"Very good. To make it even more lucrative – if you kill this child in a fight, I will DEFINITELY let you leave here, alive and whole" Yuki said

Baku considered the child in front of him, he could tell that while he was too young to be a genin, he was ridiculously strong for his age – most certainly beyond genin. 'Still it should be fairly easy, I am almost Tokubetsu Jonin level in strength, not to mention I have my weapon and an experience advantage over him'

"Allow me to clear the field for you" Yuki said and then twitched her hands. The moment she gestured with her hands, the bodies strewn about the clearing went flying to her. As a horrified Baku looked on, four gigantic black spider legs with yellow markings materialised from her back. Yuki then proceeded to spew a white substance from her mouth at the pile of bodies in front of her, while her spider legs started spinning the pile around. In a few moments a gigantic cocoon stood in place of the pile of bodies. She gestured once more with her hands and the cocoon shot up high into the trees. Baku followed the cocoon's ascent and immediately wished he had done anything but that - He had seen the other cocoons dotting the branches.

"There, all better, isn't it?" Yuki asked with a painfully fake smile. "Begin whenever you are ready shinobi-san"

Yuki's little display almost had him curl up and sob in terror, but Baku powered through the fear 'I only have to beat the child and I will be free! Just kill the child! Just kill him!'

Naruto in the meantime was watching Yuki's normal operating procedure for the first time with wide eyes. Searching himself, he found that strangely enough he wasn't as horrified as he thought he should be. It was disgusting sure, but it wasn't something that made him want to flee either. Shaking himself out of his thoughts he focused on his opponent.

Baku decided that he couldn't take any chances. Kid, or not, he was going all out from the start. He took out a scroll and unsealed the weapon within. A poof of smoke later, he held an exquisitely made weapon in his hands. It was a black and dull gold Kusarigama. It had a hooked grey-black blade which looked like a claw, the blade itself sat atop the shaft which had a gold and black scheme to it. Extending from the pommel was a 12-foot chain made of alternating links of dull gold and black metal. The chain ended in a short cylindrical weight, which in turn had curved blades on either side of it. These blades were the same grey-black as the main blade but the edges were shined to a bright silver. The whole thing was also made out of chakra conducive metal.

Naruto had never trained in the use of weapons but even he could admit that the weapon in front of him was beautiful.

"That's a beautiful weapon you've got there, shinobi-san" Naruto commented.

"Thanks kid, this is the pride of my clan. The Fuma Kusarigama. Unfortunately for you, this will be the last thing you ever see. I don't intend to die today" came the reply of Baku, who was slowly regaining his confidence now that he had his weapon in hand.

"Enough chit-chat. Begin." Yuki said simply.

And with that both Naruto and Baku burst into action.


	13. Fight night!

Baku opened the offensive by throwing the scythe straight at Naruto's face. Naruto leaned to the side to let it pass him harmlessly. Just as he closed the distance between the two of them, he saw Baku twitch the hand holding the chain ever so slightly. That was all the warning he got as he felt the blade swing around and try to catch him from the side. Naruto got out of the way in time and jumped back to create some distance between them.

While he was considering his next step, Baku had already caught the returning scythe and was now spinning the chain. Not giving Naruto any time to rest, Baku kept sending both ends of the weapon at him alternately. Any time Naruto tried to dodge and close in, Baku would simply cause the thrown end to whip around and attack him from the side.

Naruto was getting frustrated at his lack of progress and Baku was growing more hopeful by the second 'I can do this all day. If the kid can't figure out what to do then he will slip up eventually in his frustration. I just have to play this cool.'

'I can now see why Yuki wanted me to fight their strongest. He isn't as strong or fast as Yuki but he is too annoying with his weapon. I have to figure out a way to beat it.'

Naruto kept trying different approaches and angles and each time he would be rebuffed. 'I am fast, but not fast enough for him to not be able to see me. Think, man, think. What if …'

Naruto shot in again and Baku smirked. Naruto dodged the first throw once again. As he closed the distance, he could feel the blade coming in from the side. He jumped over it and corkscrewed forward. While Naruto was in the air, Baku pulled the scythe back with his right hand and at the same time launched the weight with his left. Just as the weight came towards him, Naruto used his unnatural flexibility to twist his body even more. While he managed to avoid the weight, he was nicked in the face slightly by the little blades attached to it. Ignoring the scratch, Naruto landed on the ground and continued towards Baku who had by now regained the scythe and jumped back to create some distance between them. Staying low to the ground, he got within touching distance of Baku.

Every other time so far, this was as far as he could go before a diagonal slash from the scythe forced him to move away and create distance. This time however, just as the scythe was descending, Naruto gathered a substantial amount of chakra in his right foot and pushed it out violently to create a lift. Riding the upward momentum, he shot up over the scythe and Baku's head. Continuing the momentum, he spun around in the air before delivering an almighty kick to the side of Baku's head.

The kick and the strength behind the kick took Baku completely by surprise and sent him flying to the side where he landed in a heap. Seeing his chance, Naruto sought to follow up when he heard the words "Futon: Renkudan". It was all the warning he got before a mass of wind came screaming towards him. Naruto aborted his charge and rolled towards the side to avoid getting blown away.

The unorthodox manoeuvre by Naruto had shaken Baku. The kick to his head made him realise that even with his life at stake he had underestimated his opponent. Re-joining the fight with renewed vigour, Baku took the offensive. Under the frenzied barrage of blows, Naruto found that it was all he could do to not be slashed up by the scythe.

The fight was becoming increasingly more difficult. Both Naruto and Baku, despite their age difference, were close in terms of physical prowess. Where Naruto was faster, Baku was stronger. Where Baku used his height and reach advantage, Naruto offset it with his inhuman flexibility. Where Naruto leveraged his inexhaustible stamina, Baku utilised his experience to counter.

Eventually as the fight progressed, Naruto saw an opening and took it, only to get a gash across his face. He was shocked beyond belief 'I am positive I was out of the scythe's reach, then how the hell did I get slashed?'

Creating some distance, he observed the blade. Earlier it was simply a black blade, whereas now, there was a glowing green sheen of chakra conforming to the shape of the blade - and extending its reach.

"Like it, kid?" taunted a smug looking Baku "Futon chakra does wonders for edged weapons"

Naruto glared at the weapon warily before using the only long ranged move available to him – a move he had become proficient in during the past year. Churning some suiton chakra and mixing it with, what he now called spider chakra, he shot out a glob of web at high speeds.

The technique surprised Baku, but he managed to dodge it anyway. The glob splashed where he was and immediately started hardening. Naruto kept shooting and Baku kept dodging and occasionally slicing the globs apart. Soon, one side of the clearing was full of sticky webs.

While Naruto kept Baku at bay, he could sense that Baku was losing chakra and stamina. Apparently, Baku realised it as well because he dove in with even more ferocity than before, aiming to end the fight. He had come to the conclusion some time ago, that there was no way in hell he was going to beat the kid by outlasting him – the little fucker had unlimited stamina.

At the end of a particularly furious exchange, with his strength flagging, Baku finally managed to trap the slippery little brat he was up against.

Naruto had fallen for yet another false opening and was now entangled in the Baku's chain. He tried to break free but Baku tightened the chain to keep him in place and rushed towards him to deliver the finishing blow.

As Naruto saw Baku approach him with his blade poised to take his head off, it was as if time had slowed to a crawl – he could see Yuki mid leap with an arm extended towards Baku's scythe, he could see the overjoyed expression on Baku's face 'Dammit I am going to die, aren't I? I can't believe I fell for the chain trick a second time … wait a second – CHAINS! MY CHAINS!'

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Yuki saw Naruto get tangled in chains and was fully expecting him to slip out - until she saw Baku yank and lock them in place. Realising the danger Naruto was in, she put on the biggest burst of speed she could manage, closing the distance she leapt with an outstretched arm towards the scythe, in the hopes of stopping it. To her absolute panic, she realised that she would be too late.

So, she was understandably shocked when her hand closed around a golden chakra chain instead of the shaft of the scythe that had cut off her Master's head.

Quickly withdrawing her hand, she could only stare in shock at the golden chain made of chakra that emerged from Naruto's back.

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He was almost free. His scythe was about to take off the boy's head. He had made it. His blade was almost at the boy's throat. Then, he felt something shoot through his own neck. He felt that same something carrying him backwards and up.

He felt pain and then, he felt nothing anymore.

The last thing he saw was a golden light around his throat.

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'- MY CHAINS!', and, with that thought reverberating in his head, Naruto felt an explosion of power from his back. In a split second, a golden chain made of chakra materialised and skewered Baku's throat. The force behind the chain was so great that it blasted Baku up and away – causing him to drop the scythe.

Naruto looked up in relieved shock to find Yuki standing next to him with a stunned expression on her face. Turning his head towards Baku, he could see that he was suspended in the air by the chain through his throat.

Naruto stepped forward shakily and the chains of the Kusarigama slipped off him. Responding to his wishes, his chain lazily reeled back towards him – bringing Baku's body with it.

With another mental command the chain let the body slide from its point. Looking at the chain he could notice some marked differences since the last time he summoned it that fateful night. Apart from the now golden hue as opposed to the red-orange colouring he remembered, the chain's point had undergone a complete change. Instead of a conical spike, the end was a blade shaped like a claw, the base of the blade was wide and the edges on both sides tapered off to a slightly curved end – a very pointy end.

"Amazing! I could feel it trying to disrupt my chakra flow the moment I touched it!" Naruto heard Yuki gasp. Looking back at her, he met her eyes, and, he could see her proud smile.

"Congratulations on your first victory, Naruto-sama" Yuki nodded at him respectfully.

On hearing those words Naruto turned his attention to the body at his feet. "I almost died" Naruto said in a blank voice.

"But you didn't" Yuki replied simply.

"I have to grow stronger" Naruto said, still looking at the body.

"And you will"

Naruto and Yuki looked at each other and non-verbally agreed to head back for the night. Just as he was turning around, his eyes landed on the beautiful Kusarigama. After a moment's hesitation, he bent and picked it up.

Upon seeing Yuki's raised brow, he replied simply "I like it"

"I am sure he won't mind" Yuki gestured at the body with an amused smile.

"I am heading back" Naruto said turning towards the forest.

"Go on, I will catch up soon" Yuki said, materialising her spider legs as she turned towards Baku's body.

Without a backwards glance and the Fuma Kusarigama clutched tightly in his hands, Naruto sped into the forest.


	14. Blonde to Fox! Come In!

Ever since the night Naruto had first materialised his chains, he had been trying to get them to come out, to no avail. As his chakra control improved, he kept trying different ways to coax the chains into existence. After six months of trying, he had all but given up on them. So, when the chain literally saved his neck in his fight against Baku, he memorised everything he could from the feel to the shape, before dismissing it.

Naruto stood in his favourite clearing in the forest the morning after the fight with Baku. Yuki had decided to laze around in bed, leaving Naruto to spend the day as he wished. Her excuse? - she was too full from feeding the night before.

Naruto still wasn't sure how he felt about that – on the one hand it was horrifying and on the other, those 'hunters' had come with the intention of killing her. His thoughts shifted to his fight with Baku and he found that he didn't really feel sorry about having to kill. It was a fight to the death and he won. Once he became a ninja, he would have to kill for a living – he found it easier to view it as training.

Taking his mind off from those thoughts, Naruto turned his attention on his chakra chains. 'Yosh. I remember how it felt and where it came from. Now, all I have to do is make them come out' he thought to himself before closing his eyes and throwing his entire focus into the task. It turned out he needn't have worried, as a chain materialised the moment he instructed his chakra to take shape.

Opening his eyes, he saw the golden chain just as he remembered it from last night. Heaving a sigh in relief, he reached for the chain with his left hand. Reacting to his intent, the bladed end of the chain approached his palm as if it was a pet snake looking for head pats. He cautiously touched the chain not knowing what to expect. The chain felt warm to the touch and he could feel the awesome power contained within it – his power. Deciding to experiment, he willed it to lash out at a rock some distance away as fast as it could. Following its progress with his eyes he could see that the chains moved as fast as him and his physical attacks. He continued lashing out in every direction and twisting the chain every way he could think of. He discovered that while they operated as an extension of himself, they became harder to control the longer they got. Continuing with his experiments he brought out one chain after another till he had four of them waiting for his commands. The mental strain of using four chains for four different attacks was too much for him, it was much simpler to get all four of them to focus on one target. His experiments done, he sat back on the ground with a smile on his face 'I just need to keep practicing and I am sure it will get much easier. My chains are kickass! With them, I will be unstoppable!' he thought to himself excitedly. Closing his eyes, he decided to take a nap.

It was after noon when he was woken from his nap by Yuki. "Busy morning?" Yuki asked with a teasing smile as Naruto woke with a groan. Deciding to show off for her, Naruto, instead of simply sitting up, brought out four of his chains. Stabbing the points into the ground, he willed the chains to lift him up above Yuki and keep him supported mid-air. With a very impressed look at the ease he was showing in using the chains, she asked "So, how are they? What can they do?"

"The fewer there are, the easier they are to control. They seem to react to my thoughts before I can think them ya know?" Naruto said, as he lowered himself to the ground.

"As to what they can do …" Naruto trailed off as he sent one chain behind Yuki to lightly wrap around her "… it's a lot"

The moment the chain headed towards her, her mind flashed back to her last encounter with Naruto's chains. Stopping herself from flinching, she let the chain close in on her, trusting Naruto to not hurt her. She was even more surprised when she realised that she couldn't feel her chakra being disrupted 'Maybe it happens only when he is using them to actually fight or has them buried in his target'. Shifting her attention from the chain back to Naruto, she couldn't help but tease him "Now you have got me all tied up and at your mercy Naruto-sama. Whatever will you do to me? Is this how you like your girls? All tied up and helpless? Hmm?"

On hearing those words Naruto hastily willed his chain to dissipate. Yuki could only laugh at the furiously blushing Naruto. She could hear him grumbling about perverts and stupid spider demons with dirty thoughts, and that caused her to laugh even harder. Having had enough with her cackling, Naruto shouted in frustration "Will you shut up?! Please?! I thought you were going to laze around today. Did you come out just to embarrass me?"

Hearing his shouted questions Yuki slowly pulled herself together. Sitting down and gesturing to him to join her, she began "As much as I love seeing your cute blushing face … I had a serious matter to discuss."

Naruto, who had taken a seat in the meantime looked up alertly at her statement "What is it?"

"Naruto-sama, when was the last time you spoke to the fox?" Yuki asked simply.

He was taken aback by the question. Now that he thought about it, the last time he spoke to the fox was the night he enslaved Yuki. He had felt the fox awake a few times over the past couple years although he never responded to his words. He had even gone down into his mindspace, but the fox never answered him. Last night however, as he was sure he was about to die, he had felt the presence of the fox in him clearer than any other time save that night.

Feeling safe enough to answer Yuki truthfully, he replied "I spoke to him last, on the night I … well – uh – found out about everything" awkward "Ever since then he doesn't seem to want to talk to me. But he awakens occasionally. Why do you ask?"

Yuki considered his words for a few moments before replying "Your development is coming along nicely but you can get to unimaginable heights if you can utilise the Kyuubi's power. Leaving such a source untapped is a terrible waste. I need you to come to an agreement with the fox on the matter"

"How can I, when he won't even talk to me?" frowned Naruto.

"That, unfortunately, is something I cannot help with" Yuki shrugged "Spend some time from now on trying to get in touch with him"

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Weeks passed and Naruto kept improving his abilities, while regularly trying to get the fox to respond to him. His speed and strength kept increasing, as did his chakra abilities. During this time, he had started experimenting with chakra threads. There wasn't much he could do except forming them and attaching it to surfaces but, it served as an excellent control exercise all the same. He had also taken to incorporating his chains into his fighting style in his spars against Yuki. While he could only use one chain for combat in conjunction with his limbs for fighting, he was sure that eventually he would be able to utilise more and more. He only needed to fit his fighting style around the chains.

Ever since he had seen Baku channel wind chakra through the Fuma Kusarigama, he had been trying to do the same. While he had a very strong affinity for wind chakra, he was not skilled enough in its use to channel it through the weapon. 'What if I channel suiton chakra? Will it even do anything?' wondered Naruto before proceeding with his experiment. The blade took on a slight blue sheen but didn't feel any different. Swinging it at a tree stump, he didn't notice any noticeable difference in its cutting abilities. It was incredibly sharp and cut through the stump with ease but it was no different than normal. Opting to play around with the weight(fundo) he swung it forward and started mimicking Baku. His inexperience showed when the fundo whipped towards him after a wrong pull of the chain. Just as he was about to dive to the side, the chain stopped mid air as if responding to his thoughts. Naruto was confused but the confusion lasted for only a few moments before he figured it out. 'Wind chakra boosts the sharpness of the blade, because it is a cutting element. Then, Suiton chakra must help direct the flow of the chain. This means I can use the chain like my chakra chains' Naruto thought to himself giddy with excitement. 'This is gonna be epic' was his last thought before he jumped in to his experiments once again.

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Months passed and Naruto's growth showed no signs of stopping. Just a month shy of eleven years, Naruto had reached mid jonin levels of speed and his strength was at mid chunin levels. His chakra control was extremely impressive – due to his large reserves and the biju within him, he would never have iryo nin or genjutsu specialist level controls, but for the purposes of ninjutsu and nin-taijutsu he was far above average, and improving steadily.

While his ease with his chakra chains had improved, he still felt comfortable using only 1 chain in close combat and a maximum of 4 for mid-range combat. While he had grown more comfortable with his Kusarigama, he realised the need for proper instruction. It was only through manipulating suiton chakra that he had not been stabbed by his own weapon when using it against Yuki.

The fox, however, had him frustrated. He now knew for a fact that the furry bastard could hear him. He had taken to visiting his mindspace daily and spending some time trying to get the fox to respond. He got no response apart from occasional annoyed growlings. Yuki in the meantime, while happy for his development in other areas, was growing impatient over his lack of success in contacting the fox.

So, one fine day, about three weeks before he turned eleven, he swore to himself that he would get the fox to finally speak to him, that very day. He found Yuki and told her to not disturb him for the rest of the day.

Heading out, he found a peaceful spot and made himself comfortable. Jumping into his mindspace he made for the fox's cell. "Dammit Fox! I have been trying to talk to you for so long! What the hell is your problem?! Answer me you damned furball!" screamed Naruto at the gate. Getting no response, he continued shouting.

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Kurama, the nine tailed fox, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, destruction given form, could only sigh in irritation when the shouting continued without any sign of stopping. Curled up in the shadows of his cell, he had been having a nice dream where he was rampaging through a village that looked suspiciously like Konoha and trampling the annoying little humans under his paw. He was rudely awoken from his lovely dream by the appearance of the annoying blonde he had the misfortune of being imprisoned in.

Honestly, the boy had turned out to be much better than what he had expected the night he met him three years ago. It was just that the few times he had woken up and managed to gain access to the boy's senses, all he had seen was forests, forests and some more forests. He liked forests but he also valued mayhem, fire and violence. Forests were the place he went to in order to relax after a well-executed bout of destruction. The lack of variety and action was grating on his nerves – he blamed his container.

The one time he had been interested was the night the boy got his first kill. He was about to offer his power as it became clear that the boy was going to die, when he whipped out those cursed chain of his and ended the fight. After that, it was back to more forests.

It had been amusing to not respond to the boy and watch him shout himself hoarse before leaving in frustration but, it was getting old. The shouting continued for the longest time yet and showed no signs of stopping. He couldn't take it anymore and finally burst out "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

That worked … for about two seconds.

"Damn fox! Took you long enough! What the fuck is your problem! Why wouldn't you answer?!"

"I said – SHUT UP!" Kurama repeated even louder.

"No! Do you have any idea how much time I have wasted to get you to talk?"

"What the fuck do you want?"

"I want to know why you wouldn't answer me"

"You bore me and I didn't feel like it. Now tell me why you are here before I go back to sleep"

He saw the boy frown up at his direction "I want access to your chakra"

Kurama was actually taken aback at those words. 'He wants my chakra? There is no harm in giving a little to him but, I am going to milk it for all it is worth' he smirked to himself.

"Why should I?"

"Well-uh … I want to get stronger and your chakra would be a big help?" came the boy's hesitant response.

Kurama almost laughed out loud at the response "I don't care about that. What is in it for me?"

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The question from the Kyuubi brought him up short 'What could I offer him? What do I offer a fox that lives in my head?'

"Uh- What would you like?"

At the question, the Kyuubi moved forward and revealed his head while keeping the rest of him covered in shadows.

"Do you have any idea how much I hate this place?" came the fox's growl

"What?" Naruto asked confused.

"This damn forest you brat! Do you plan on ever leaving? I am sick of the trees! I want some change!"

"I will be returning to Konoha shortly. I thought you knew that" Naruto replied confused.

"FINALLY! And no, you fool, I can't listen to your thoughts or share your senses except for when your life is in grave danger"

"Okay then, I didn't know about that. I could have told you any of the hundreds of times I came down here, if you hadn't been sulking" Naruto said in an annoyed tone.

The fox remained silent at that except for a very slight growl which sounded deafening to Naruto at this distance.

"Once again, what would you like in return for letting me use your chakra?"

The fox thought for a few moments before replying "I want access to your senses and thoughts"

"Why?"

"I am bored out of my mind you fool! The least you can do for me is provide some entertainment in return for my power!" the Kyuubi replied with a snarl.

Naruto considered his words for a few moments before agreeing "Done. How do I grant you access to my senses?"

"Just will it and touch the seal on the door"

Naruto did as he was asked. Feeling no change himself, he asked the fox "Did it work?"

"HeheheHAHAHAHA Yes. Yes, it did. I can hear the outside world. Go on boy, open your eyes" the fox said happily.

Naruto decided to humour the fox and jumped out of his mindspace. Opening his eyes, he looked around in every direction for the fox's benefit.

"Bah! More of the damn trees but still, it's better than nothing" Kyuubi's voice rang out in his head.

"You wanted my power boy? You can have it"

The moment Naruto heard those words in his head, he felt an explosion of chakra in his belly which proceeded to circulate through his entire chakra network before settling. His body felt much stronger and faster and his senses felt heightened beyond anything he had ever experienced.

Deciding to test his new found power he dashed off in a random direction. The ground seemed to shrink as he leapt towards his destination. He punched a tree with all his strength and the trunk exploded before the tree fell to the ground. After a good while of demon powered deforestation, Naruto felt his body burning from the strain of channelling the biju chakra for so long.

Letting the biju chakra fade from his system, he fell back on to the ground. "THAT. WAS. AMAZING!" he shouted at the sky.

"I am glad you liked it brat. Take care though, what you experienced was about one tail's worth of power. The strain it put you through would slowly erode your sanity and harm your body. The fact that you have a little of the spider's chakra in your body prolongs your usage of my power. But use it long enough and you WILL destroy yourself" the fox warned

"Then what do I do?" came the worried question

"You will have to train and get used to it"

"I can do that"

"But first, GET OUT OF THIS DAMN FOREST!" roared Kurama

"I will" Naruto cringed at the roar "Thanks a lot … Hey you never told me your name! I can't keep calling you 'Fox' if you are going to be my partner!"

Kurama was taken aback at the blonde's words, after a moment's hesitation he replied "Don't kid yourself brat, you are too weak and insignificant as you are, to even joke about being my partner. And you haven't earned the right to use my name yet. For now, just call me Kyuubi and be done with it"

Naruto was pissed at the response. Not being one to decline a challenge "Oh yeah? I will make you acknowledge me one day you damn furball"

"Whatever"

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His mission accomplished; an extremely pleased Naruto walked back to Yuki's lair to find her lounging about on the bed.

"I did it! I finally did it!" Naruto said happily

"That's great news Naruto-sama! I take it you enjoyed the boost. I could sense your power while you were destroying my forest" Yuki ended coldly.

"Sorry about that. I got carried away" said a blushing Naruto.

"Clearly" Yuki sighed "What did the Kyuubi want in return for letting you use his power?"

"How did you know he wanted anything?" came the slightly suspicious sounding query.

"Really Naruto-sama, I am a demon remember?" huffed out Yuki "Demons never do anything for free. So, it's only natural that the Kyuubi wanted something in return."

"He wanted access to my senses and to get out of this forest"

"What's wrong with my forest?" asked an offended sounding Yuki.

"He says he finds it boring" Naruto shrugged "Oh and he also asked me to add that he would like nothing more than to reduce it to ash."

"Of all the nerve …"

"So, what happens now?" Naruto asked, in an attempt to divert the topic.

"Now … you return to Konoha"


	15. When in doubt - Blackmail!

Konoha was widely regarded as the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, a distinction that was both well-earned and much coveted. Coveted by those, who would stop at almost nothing to take it from Konoha, like the other great villages for starters. Yet, Konoha had maintained its position through a mix of producing exceptional shinobi with frightening regularity and maintaining excellent diplomatic relations with the noble classes. Really, if a wandering legendary medic from a great village suddenly manages to pluck a Lord's daughter from the jaws of death, the least the Lord could do was direct all contracts to said village, right? – after of course, paying through the nose to the concerned medic only for her to blow all of the money at the nearest gambling table. Similarly, a perverted old hermit single-handedly wiping out entire criminal operations, tended to create lasting impressions on the nobles, which in turn helped bring in even more contracts. Legends bloomed in the shade of the great tree that was Konoha.

Attributing the successes of the village to its legends alone would be both unfair and patently untrue. The original clans such as the Senju, Uchiha and Hyuuga were all famed throughout the elemental nations for their prowess and Kekkei Genkai. The clan system of the village produced and nurtured specialised talents and skills that couldn't be found anywhere else. From the psychic terrorists of the Yamanaka clan to the feral warriors of the Inuzuka, variety was never a problem for Konoha.

One such clan of great repute were the Aburame. Known for their use of insects and tracking skills, they were a mystery even within Konoha itself. The fact that they housed their bugs in their own skin and bones caused more than a little discomfort to others and made them appear creepy. However, this did not bother them and they even leveraged their unnerving presence to their own advantage. They were proud of their power and heritage as one of the first to join Hashirama Senju in the creation of the village. They had been provided their powers by the Shodaime himself, and they wouldn't let something as trivial as the discomfort of a the narrow minded affect them. They were one of the noble clans and proud shinobi of the leaf - bugs and all.

Shibi Aburame, as the head of the clan had various duties. Apart from the various administrative duties of the clan and his position as a jonin of the leaf, he was also the head keeper of the hives that were both a boon from the Spider Maiden and their main source of power. So, when he saw a pure white spider with red markings on it in the shape of a lily, while he was out on a regular check on the hives, he recognised that he had been summoned. He had only seen the spider once before in his life, when he had assumed the headship of the clan. Not knowing what to expect, and remembering a certain promise, he quickly sent off a message before heading towards the Spider Shrine deep in the forest.

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Hiruzen Sarutobi, the sandaime Hokage of Konoha was having a shit morning … just like every other morning since he became the Hokage _again_. The paper work never ended, the civilian council never stopped bitching and why was there a need for SO MANY REPAIRS? Was there a war going on in the village every day that nobody bothered telling him about? … Oh great, the damn cat had broken out again. He assigned the job to a fresh genin team with an evil smile, while deriving some perverse pleasure from the act.

Frowning at his own state of mind he decided to take a break but, even then he was afraid to look away from the pile of paper on his desk – he was sure they multiplied when he wasn't looking. As if to prove his fears right, his assistant, a young chunin, walked in with a scroll marked 'URGENT'. He had an urge to disintegrate it with a fireball before he chided himself for being silly and accepted it. Dismissing her, he opened the scroll while puffing on his pipe – and immediately started spluttering and coughing. The scroll carried a single line - **'I have been summoned.'**

The day Naruto disappeared, he had made Shibi Aburame promise to inform him if he was ever summoned by the Joro-gumo, despite knowing full well that he had no right to ask that of him. Clan secrets were just that – secrets. Shibi had accepted only because of his immense respect for the old man and genuine sympathy for his grief. Staring at the window, the Hokage's head was running a mile a minute 'Could it be about Naruto? After all these years? Why now? What could she possibly want? … Please be alive Naruto-kun! Please, just give me one more chance!'. He almost decided to head out to the Aburame compound before stopping himself. Realising that he could trust Shibi to report to him immediately, he decided to work off his nerves by tackling some more paper work.

After a stressful hour he gave it up as a bad job and just sat puffing his pipe and staring out over the village. As time went by his thoughts started getting more and more angry. 'The villagers are an insult to the Shodai's and Sensei's ideals. How could they treat a child like that? The worst of the lot are the useless civilian council. I should have just trampled on them and taken the boy into my own clan. He would have been safe there. But NOOO … damned politicians. Will I ever get a chance to make it up to him? I would do anything to set things right …'

After an hour of dark thoughts and his patience running out, he was about to send a message to the Aburame compound when there was a knock on his door. Looking up hopefully, he bid the person enter, only to let out a disappointed sigh. It was his assistant. "What?!" he bit off with more irritation in his voice than he intended to show.

Flinching at his tone the assistant replied "Aburame-sama with a guest to see you, Hokage-sama."

Perking up at those words and jumping to his feet he all but screamed "Let them in!"

The Hokage sank back to his seat in relieved shock on seeing the familiar yet, so very different boy at his door.

"Heya Jiji … You look _old."_

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Arriving at the shrine as fast as he could, Shibi found that he was alone. Hoping that he was early, Shibi knelt at the shrine and patiently waited for the Spider Maiden's arrival. Roughly after half an hour he could feel a change in the air, and more importantly the Kikaichu on and in his person started buzzing with excitement. Straining his senses to pinpoint the location of the source of disturbance, which he was sure was the Joro-gumo, he started looking around in every direction. So, he was understandably surprised when suddenly out of the blue, the Joro-gumo simply appeared on top of the shrine, as if by magic. He had not heard any movement, nor had he sensed a chakra fluctuation at that location, one moment she wasn't there and the next, she simply was.

"How may I serve you, my lady?" Shibi intoned respectfully, while keeping his head down. He could feel the demon's silent gaze on him. Just as the silence was beginning to get uncomfortable, she spoke.

"How are _my_ little darlings doing, Ningen?... You may lift your head."

"They are our invaluable and trusted allies my lady. Your gift is as appreciated as it is revered." Shibi replied. Taking in her beautiful appearance he noticed that she had not aged a single day since he last saw her, but then again, she was an ageless chakra demon. It was only logical.

With a pleased nod at Shibi's reply, the Spider Maiden continued "Five years ago, I had a child from your village intrude on my domain."

Shibi's body stiffened in anticipation at those words. When the Spider Maiden didn't continue for some time, he cautiously ventured "May I ask what became of that boy?"

"You may, but before I answer, tell me this ningen. What manner of village did I share my power with, that would treat a hatchling in such a way that he would rather run _into_ my forest than stay? Even _I_ care for my children!" the Spider Maiden said while producing some decidedly dangerous looking spiders from her sleeves.

Shibi could only look down silently at the question. When it became clear that the Joro-gumo would not continue without an answer from him, he replied "The treatment Naruto Uzumaki received was undeserved. The villagers' actions stemmed from an irrational hatred based on illogical assumptions about his nature and circumstances."

"Oh please. Stop beating about the bush. I know about the fox." she said in an annoyed tone.

Shibi's brow raised a fraction of an inch at that. Growing impatient at the lack of expression from Shibi, Yuki continued -

"After I found the boy, I decided to keep him around for a bit. Eventually, he grew on me. He wasn't as obnoxious as the rest of your kind. However, he is growing up and I am growing bored with him. I want you to take him off my hands and to provide him shelter amongst your clan – I hope that won't be a problem?"

"That won't be a problem, my lady." Shibi hastily agreed, inwardly happy to get confirmation that the boy was alive.

"Also tell that fool monkey you call Hokage that I expect the boy to be allowed to visit me when I summon him."

"I will relay the message to Hokage-sama"

"See that you do" Yuki replied while turning away and gesturing behind her.

At her signal, Shibi saw a blonde-haired boy in white walk out from behind a tree. Taking in his appearance Shibi saw that he looked well-built and tall for his age – which he figured was the same eleven-years-old as his own son, Shino.

As he watched, the boy moved with an unnatural grace towards them, while carrying a bag over his shoulder. Reaching them, the boy gave both him and the Spider Maiden a cheery grin.

"Like I told you before, this is the head of the Aburame clan. You will be his problem from now on. Go with him" the Spider Maiden said in the way of introducing him to the boy.

At this the boy turned to him and grinned even wider than before "Nice to meetcha."

"Like wise Uzumaki-san" Shibi replied.

"All right. That's enough, begone." the Spider Maiden cut in.

Recognising the dismissal Shibi bowed one last time before turning to leave.

Naruto followed suit, but, just as soon as Shibi couldn't see him, he turned his head and winked at Yuki receiving a small grin in return. Yuki quickly schooled her features and with a short wave, melted into the air.

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While Naruto was waiting behind the tree waiting for the conversation that both he and Yuki had planned to end, he cast out his chakra senses and studied the Aburame clan head. This was the first time that he was studying a being other than Yuki, in such great detail – the Yokai hunters from a year ago didn't count. As he was studying the Aburame's chakra, he couldn't help but marvel at the millions of little presences he could sense upon his person. He was so lost in contemplating the interesting chakra signature that he almost missed Yuki's cue to join them.

As he and the Aburame were walking towards the village, he decided to have some fun with him "So, I hear you got bugs in ya. Wanna show me?"

 **"Pfft hahahaha real smooth brat! You will die alone! Wanna show me your bugs?! … If you ever manage to find a mate, I will start singing songs about peace and love hahahahaha"** the fox's voice piped up in Naruto's head.

'Will you shut up? I am trying to get him to like me. Besides, it really is cool.' Naruto snapped back mentally.

Shibi considered his words before allowing a few to emerge from his sleeves "They are called Kikaichu."

"Nice. So, what can they do?" asked an impressed looking Naruto.

Shibi was used to people being disgusted or disturbed by his display, so Naruto's enthusiasm was a welcome surprise. As a result, he didn't mind entertaining the boy's curiosity "They are our partners and have a wide variety of abilities. From tracking and chakra draining to poison extraction, to name a few."

"That sounds amazing. Too bad it is a clan jutsu or I would have jumped at the chance to learn it." Naruto said with a smile.

 **"As if I would share my container with filthy bugs, brat!"** the fox grumbled in Naruto's head. Naruto promptly ignored it and kept going.

Shibi found himself warming up to the child. The kid was alright in his book. He was definitely getting a place to stay if he had any say in the matter.

"Hey, Aburame-san? I don't know your name. Mine is Naruto Uzumaki, by the way."

"My apologies Naruto-san. I am Shibi Aburame, current head of the Aburame clan and jonin of the leaf."

"You grow more awesome by the minute, Shibi-san! I can call you Shibi-san, right?" came the enthusiastic reply.

 **"Awesome? Do you even know the meaning of the word brat? I could kill that insignificant pest just by glaring at him hard. Get moving brat! Enough walking around! I want to get out of this forest! Move it!"** the Kyuubi piped up yet again. Naruto again ignored him and offered up a small prayer to the gods so that he could keep his calm.

"You may." Shibi replied with a very, very slight smile, that was hidden by his collar.

They kept on walking for a few minutes in silence before Naruto spoke up once again.

"Can we speed this up? I would like to get back as soon as possible."

"Certainly, please try to keep up." Shibi replied and started off in a fast jog.

Seeing Naruto keep up, he kept increasing his speed, partly to hasten their return and partly to test Naruto's speed. When he saw, Naruto matching his speed with no effort, he decided to take to the trees. Naruto saw Shibi fly up into the branches and followed suit, all the while focusing on what his sensory abilities were telling him. He could sense millions upon millions of Kikaichu everywhere around him.

While Naruto was looking around everywhere, Shibi was busy assessing him. 'I am travelling at speeds that is far beyond genin standards and he is able to keep up easily. My Kikaichu also tell me that his chakra is too strong to be Genin. How has he been developing his abilities? Did the Joro-gumo help him? But, why would she do that?'

Naruto was well aware that Shibi was assessing him. Deciding that this was the most he was going to show him, he did not increase his speed when Shibi tried to push him a bit further by increasing his own. Just as he was about to ask how much further they had to travel; his mind exploded in pain from sensory overload.

Naruto had spent half of his life away from civilisation at that point and had virtually no contact with any humans - once again, Baku and his gang didn't count. So, when he stumbled upon the Konoha village perimeter without warning, his chakra sensor abilities went haywire. He had no experience with this many signatures pinging in his head at the same time. Apart from that, it had been a month since he first wielded the Kyuubi's chakra and ever since then, his senses of sight and smell had jumped up several notches in terms of sensitivity. As a result of being unused to this much stimuli, he ground to a stop and leapt down from the trees without a word to Shibi.

Shibi looked down at him from a branch above "Are you alright Naruto-san?"

 **"You know, burning down that damn village could help make you feel better."** the Kyuubi helpfully offered.

"Yea, yea I just felt dizzy for a bit. I am fine now." Naruto grunted in reply, while simultaneously inviting the Kyuubi to shut the hell up in his mind.

Shibi knew that Naruto was lying to him and let it slide for the moment. "We can move whenever you feel up to it."

"Aww Shibi-san, don't worry about me. It was just a little dizzy spell. I am as good as new. Let's go, I wanna see the old man first!" Naruto exclaimed while already moving towards the village.

Looking back quickly, he could see Shibi follow him. Deciding to head straight to the Hokage tower, he roof-hopped through the Aburame district and Konoha proper. While he was busy adjusting his sensory skill during his journey, he could only marvel at how much the village had remained the same. He had been gone five years and yet, looking at the village below him he felt like he had never left.

He had to abandon his musings and focus when he arrived at the doorstep of the Hokage tower. Letting Shibi take charge from there, he hung back behind the bug master. No one paid him any special attention apart from the basic assessing look ninja were wont to give anything in their path. Seeing him in the company of Shibi also helped. All this, while the Kyuubi was running a tab out loud of who they could kill and how he would like to see it done.

Once the assistant let him and Shibi in, he entered first in his excitement. Taking in everything about the office with a glance, he couldn't help but smirk at the Hokage staring at him with his jaw unhinged.

"Heya Jiji … you look _old."_

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"Heya Jiji … you look _old._ "

Hiruzen couldn't believe his eyes. He had been praying desperately that Naruto was alive, but to actually see his prayers answered – it was all he could do to not break down sobbing in relief. Over his long life, in a world where young men and women dying before they reached their 30s was the norm, Hiruzen had seen many things and regretted a lot more. So, when he saw his second chance at correcting one of his biggest mistakes in life, standing at his door with a grin on his face, he couldn't help but rush to him with all the speed he could muster.

Naruto was confused. One moment, he was watching the old man look back at him with a comical expression on his face, and before he could comprehend what was happening, he was enveloped in a hug. 'What the hell was _that?_ I couldn't even see him move. And this is when he is not even in a fight. Damn, the old man is scary.' A moment later, he felt himself being released.

"Naruto-kun, is that really you?" the Hokage asked with a shaky smile.

"Will you give me the hat if I say yes?" came the cheeky reply.

The Hokage simply laughed at that. "Oh yes, it's you all right. Come here, let me take a look at you."

Pulling Naruto to the centre of his office, Hiruzen couldn't help but marvel at his appearance. Naruto was dressed in a traditional outfit made of white silk with strange web patterns, he suspected the Joro-gumo. Naruto stood tall for his age at almost five feet and his handsome face had lost all traces of baby fat. As opposed to when he saw him last, Naruto's hair while maintaining its spiky appearance came down to his shoulders.

Seating both himself and Naruto, Hiruzen began "Naruto-kun, I am so sorry about everything. Please, please forgive me for not coming for you earlier and allowing things to progress far enough to chase you away in the first place."

"Don't worry about it Jiji, it's not your fault. You were not the one to nearly kill me." Naruto replied with a shrug.

Hiruzen flinched at Naruto's casual tone. How could he even respond to that?

"While that is nice of you, it still happened under my watch. Please, just give me another chance and I will make sure that nothing of the sort ever happens again."

"No, really, Jiji you don't have to worry about _that_. There is something else entirely that I want answers for. Why didn't you tell me about the fox?"

The Hokage was shocked at the question 'When did he find out? Was it the night he was chased out? Was it in the forest? Did the Kyuubi affect his mind or personality? What do I even say?'

Deflating in his seat "I am sorry but you were too young to know Naruto-kun. I didn't want to make you worry or think that you were a monster"

"No, instead the villagers made me think I was one." Naruto replied with a slightly sarcastic tone.

Hiruzen could have countered any argument that anyone could have made for telling Naruto of his burden, but having his face rubbed in so blatantly in the biggest failure left him speechless. How could he even reply to that? What could he even say?

"I am so sorry, Naruto. If I could go back and change things I would. I promise that I will do my best to prevent anything like that happen to you again." Hiruzen solemnly spoke.

"Aww you don't have to worry about me Jiji, I have gotten plenty strong during my 'vacation', I can take care of myself, ya know" Naruto replied with a bright smile.

"I can see that, my boy."

And that was the other thing Hiruzen was dying to know, he could sense the boy's power just bubbling away under the surface like a raging river. How did he get so strong? Where had he been? Why hadn't he been devoured by the Joro-gumo?

Deciding to systematically tackle the questions he had in mind Hiruzen began "Naruto, where have you been all this time? If you were all right, why didn't you try to contact us – contact me?"

Naruto looked a bit guilty at his question. "I was with Yuki all this time, Jiji," seeing the old man's expression, he clarified "the Spider Maiden. It got pretty annoying to simply call her the Spider Maiden after the first two times ya know, after that, she simply agreed when I asked if I could call her Yuki."

Hiruzen could only stare "… Only you, Naruto. Only you."

Shrugging Naruto continued "After I stayed with her for a few days, I started liking it there. The food was free, there were no people calling me nasty names and most importantly there was no one trying to stab me." Naruto finished with a slightly challenging look at the Hokage.

Hiruzen had the grace to blush slightly at those words. Pushing on with his questions he asked "How did you learn about the Kyuubi, Naruto?"

"The night I ran into the forest, I was bleeding heavily and I thought I was going to die. That was when everything went dark and I woke up inside my mind. I met the Kyuubi there and he told me about himself and how he was sealed in me. He then gave me a little bit of his power to save me."

Hiruzen could only hear Naruto's recollection with mounting horror and sadness. How could he have failed the boy so badly? How could the villagers hurt him bad enough for him to almost die and awaken the Kyuubi? How bad was the damage to his mind really? What had the Kyuubi told him?

"Once again, I can't really express how sorry I am Naruto-kun. Please tell me what happened in the forest, what happened after you met the Spider Maiden?"

"At first, I thought she was just a nice lady who lived in the forest. I liked being around her because she was the only one other than you or Teuchi-san and his daughter who didn't chase me away." Naruto replied in a casual tone. He could see the guilt and sadness reflected on the old man's face … everything was going according to plan.

Continuing, he spoke "Then she tried some to do something and that angered the Kyuubi. She must have been scared of the Kyuubi's power or something because she explained who she was."

The Hokage sat up at those words "You stayed even after you found out what she was? Why?"

Naruto made a show of thinking for a bit before replying "I didn't mind because she and I are the same – both of us are monsters."

Hiruzen was dumbstruck "How could you possibly think that?! You are Naruto of the leaf! You are not a monster! You will be a shinobi and the Hokage remember?!"

'Damn, I will make those ignorant fools pay! Minato and Kushina's legacy thinking he is a monster! Unthinkable! … But is it really a surprise?'

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Naruto couldn't help but feel a little guilty at what he was putting the old man through. Even when he was younger, he knew that the Hokage always looked out for him, he just couldn't be with him all the time to protect him. Seeing the old man squirm and suffer gave him no joy but, it was necessary.

Yuki and he had decided to tell a very modified version of their history and time together to any who would ask. It was decided that Naruto would leave out the part of his being spider snack for two years along with the fact that he knew of his heritage. It would serve as ammunition for another day. They had decided to downplay Yuki's contribution to his growth in an effort to reduce the amount of annoying questions that it would otherwise invite. They had also decided to keep Yuki's spying abilities a secret.

The current round of emotional trauma that he was putting the old man through had only one purpose – to help him get concessions for his living and training arrangements. The idea was to guilt him into acquiescing to his demands. Emotional blackmail had its uses.

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"Maa, Jiji calm down. I know that now. At the time, I was scared and confused and had just found that there was a demon living in me. What else was I supposed to think?" Naruto asked, driving the nail of guilt even deeper into the old man.

"What changed?" Hiruzen asked with a heartbroken but hopeful expression.

"I realised that the Kyuubi was _in_ me, _not_ me. I was merely it's container. In fact, it was the Kyuubi himself who taught me that I was not a monster and I shouldn't think of myself as one."

 **"THE FUCK I DID! What the fuck?! How dare you make up lame stories about me?!"** the fox exploded in Naruto's head.

Grimacing internally 'The fuck are _you_ screaming for?! This was the plan remember?! To keep Yuki's name out of it'

**"You never asked me about this brat!"**

'I gave you access to my thoughts at all times. My mind is a literal open book to you. Why would you even need me to _tell_ you? It's not my fault that you found my planning sessions with Yuki boring and dosed off.' Naruto retorted furiously in his mind.

**"I am going to get back at you for this brat. I don't know how yet, but you can be sure I will get you."**

Ignoring the fox, he focused on the Hokage to find him looking back at him with a mixture of pride and sadness on his face "That is extremely mature of you Naruto-kun and … nice of the Kyuubi I suppose."

The conversation petered out with both of them deep in their thoughts. Hiruzen was at least thankful for the fact that he had the presence of mind to subtly signal the ANBU guarding him to leave and seal the room when Naruto started speaking of the Kyuubi. The only other occupant of the room, Shibi had been silent the entire time. It was because of his unique relationship with the Joro-gumo and the fact that he was the one to bring Naruto, that he was not asked to leave. Also, he was one of the very few in the village who was high profile enough to know about the Kyuubi and participate in a conversation about it with the Hokage.

"Jiji how did the villagers know that I had the Kyuubi?" This was one question that Naruto had been dying to know the answer to. He could feel even the Kyuubi getting interested in this question.

The Hokage paled like a ghost at the question. Even then, years later he couldn't figure out what had led him to commit such a monumental piece of stupidity. With a very shaky voice he replied "When the Fourth sealed the fox in you, he wanted the village to know you as a hero and respect you for your sacrifice. Only the generations above yours know about this though. It is illegal to even discuss it anymore."

"Jiji … How did they know? _Who_ told them?" Naruto asked with growing suspicion at the Hokage's evasive tone.

"Naruto, you must understand …" the Hokage began with a pleading tone only to be abruptly cutoff.

" _Who_ was it Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked with an absolutely frozen tone. Naruto by now was sure that the old man was somehow responsible and he was beginning to feel the beginnings of rage at the idea.

Looking into Naruto's eyes, Hiruzen could see that there was no evading this time. Preparing for the explosion he spoke simply "It was me, Naruto-kun."

There it was! There _HE_ was! Right in front of him! The reason people treated him like a monster. The one person he called Jiji and looked up to, the one person he went to for comfort when being treated like a monster day in and day out. It was him all along. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to **HURT** him, **KILL** him, **RIP** him from limb to limb. As he was getting more riled up by the moment, a part of his mind cut across his thoughts telling him that there was no point in starting anything now. The part of his mind thinking logically told him that he couldn't do anything to the old man – yet. That it was in his best interests to listen to the old man's excuses and bide his time. Giving into the calmer part of his mind, Naruto quickly schooled his features and sank back into his seat.

"I see" was the simple and cold reply.

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The Hokage could only stare in disbelief at the mounting rage and power that Naruto was displaying. The power was absolutely absurd and more importantly it was all his _own_ , he couldn't detect even a smidge of the Kyuubi's chakra or influence. That both saddened and scared him. Sad, because while he still liked to claim in his mind that, no amount of punishment was enough for his follies, he had still held out hope that Naruto would give him the benefit of doubt if he ever found out about his role in his misery. Scared, because angry or not, no eleven-year-old had any business exuding power and a killing intent, that easily rivalled an elite joinin. To make matters worse, the power was so contained that no one except the most experienced sensor could detect that the boy was generating such an extreme amount.

Seeing his expression growing stormier and his power rising, Hiruzen started preparing for the worst and to suppress the boy if he chose to attack. Suddenly, to his utter amazement both the KI and the power he could sense in Naruto simply dissipated in an instant - as did Naruto's rage. Looking at Naruto's face, he couldn't really decide if this was an improvement. Where before his expression was murderous, now it held nothing but a contemptuous coldness to it.

"I see."

Those two words felt worse than any punch to his gut.

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"I see."

Cringing hard at the tone, the Hokage began "Naruto-kun please, I had truly believed that the villagers would understand and honour your sacrifice and see you as a hero."

"Did you think I was a hero, Hokage-sama?" came the query in a seemingly emotionless voice.

The Hokage cringed mentally because he knew that there was no correct answer to this question. While he believed with all his being that Naruto was a braver and stronger soul than any other in the village, he also knew that no matter what answer he gave to the question he was hanged either way. Deciding to stick to the truth, he spoke emphatically "Of course I do! I always did and I always will! Please give us another chance Naruto-kun!"

"Is it normal for heroes to be thrown into orphanages and treated like crap or is this some special Konoha tradition that no one saw fit to inform me about?" Naruto asked, ignoring the old man's words.

Hiruzen could only sigh in sadness at the question. No matter what explanation he could think of, they all sounded hollow to his _own_ ears, he had no chance of convincing the wronged boy in front of him.

"If I was a hero, why was there no one to look after me? Why was I left out on the streets after four years in the orphanage? Why did I have to live off scraps that I found? Why did I only get rotten food when I went to the markets? Why did people bundle their children away when they saw me anywhere in the area? Why was I mobbed regularly? Why was I almost killed?" Naruto continued relentlessly.

The Hokage's heart broke into small pieces with every pointed question that was pouring out of the one person he had failed the most.

"Naruto-kun I am so sorry. The Yondaime wanted people to know you as a hero. I had to …"

"THAT IS ENOUGH! Stop hiding behind the memory of MY FATHER!" Naruto shouted back. _Plan be damned_.

The Hokage could only splutter in shock. How did he know this? How could he know this? His shock worsened when he saw the normally expressionless face of Shibi Aburame staring at him and Naruto with clear shock on his face – _TWO_ raised eyebrows.

Despite himself, Hiruzen went into full Hokage mode "This is an S-rank secret. Shibi, any discussion from this point forward is to be treated as such." He knew that sending Shibi away at this point would be meaningless, he had too much respect for his intelligence.

Turning to Naruto, he asked, shocked beyond expression "How did you know?"

"The fox" Naruto said simply.

 **"Do you plan on blaming everything on me?"** the fox asked with a disgruntled growl

'I can't let them know of Yuki's spying abilities. Deal with it.'

The Hokage only now was realising how bad the situation truly was. The village had spit on the legacy of the Yondaime and the legacy was now aware of it. He had hoped that living in the village and working as a ninja would eventually lead the villagers to accept Naruto. But now, looking into the ice-cold eyes of the boy in front of him, he realised that he had been wrong about who needed to accept whom. Not wanting the boy to turn his back on the village he hastily began his explanation "Naruto-kun, if you know who your father is then you must also know that he had innumerable enemies, I thought it was for the best that your identity stay hidden for the sake of your safety. So, I hid the truth of your parentage from everybody."

The reasoning which had seemed so good at the time, sounded weak even to his own ears. Surely enough Naruto responded with a voice which clearly reflected how difficult he was finding it to maintain control "So let me get this straight, you wanted to keep me safe so you didn't tell anyone of my heritage? I suppose it makes sense. Then why the hell did you have to leak the fact that I was the Kyuubi's container? Did you seriously not see that being a problem? Or were you truly unaware of the kind of animals those precious villagers of yours are?"

"I am sorry Naruto; I had truly hoped that the villagers would accept you." Hiruzen was a step away from grovelling.

"Why couldn't you take me in or arrange for someone to do it for you?"

"I wanted to …"

"Why didn't you then?" Naruto cut in rudely.

"I wanted to but I didn't want the people to see the Hokage taking an interest in a boy who looked like the Yondaime. It would have tipped off anyone and everyone about who you were and you would have been in constant danger of abduction and vengeful plots from your father's enemies."

Naruto could see the convoluted logic behind the reasoning but that was nowhere near enough to soothe him. He had other questions he wanted answered "That still doesn't explain why you wouldn't do anything to prevent the beatings, the discrimination and the million other things that I had to go through. I was thrown out of the orphanage at four! It was only because you got me that apartment to stay in that I had a roof over my head. It still didn't tip you off? You couldn't get me even a servant's quarters in any of your clans' sprawling lands?! Please don't tell me it didn't occur to you, oh great Shinobi-no-kami! I am eleven and I can think of at least six other ways to get around the problem!" Naruto kept poking hole after hole the Hokage's arguments with ruthless abandon.

Hiruzen continued to look exhausted and his age showed even more prominently with every minute the conversation lasted. To have his follies not only pointed out but, to have them smashed in his face hurt. Why hadn't he taken Naruto in when things got that bad? He could have easily done it but the truth was the council with its equal representation by the civilians had blocked his movements at the time. On the Shinobi side too, the Uchiha and the Hyuuga at the time were all busy eyeing what they could extract from the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and as such could never show a united front to the civilian side of the council. He proceeded to explain the situation to Naruto.

On hearing the explanation, Naruto couldn't hide the expression of disgust he could feel welling from within the depths of his being. Looking back at the Hokage with an absolutely contemptuous expression, Naruto spoke with a voice dripping with scorn "You mean to tell me that the most powerful man in the land, the Hokage can't do anything without the say so of fat, useless merchants. And to think that I wanted to be the Hokage! Ha!"

Hiruzen could feel the beginnings of anger at Naruto's words. He may have wronged the boy through his negligence but insulting the entire Kage system was not his place – but then again, was he really wrong? He had allowed the civilian council to dictate the actions of the village for too long. Nowhere else in the world were the civilians so empowered – Kumo didn't even have a single civilian with any voting power on their council. Instead of being grateful for the chance of being treated as equals – because when all was said and done, the village was a **_ninja_** village – the civilians had seen fit to sit on his head and call the shots. He would have to change things soon; he had let it go on for long enough. Any further musing was cut short by Naruto's words.

"I can't believe that my father sacrificed his life for this village. Hell, he even sacrificed mine in a way and for what? I am sure he would be happy to see me now. You know what old man? I wish you had let my identity out, being kidnapped would have been better – It **_was_** better, seeing that it was kinda what Yuki did." his final blow delivered, Naruto got up and made towards the door.

The declaration that he would rather have been abducted had shaken the Hokage once again. Before he could even formulate a response, Naruto had stood up and was almost at the door.

"Naruto-kun please! Please just give me another chance!" Hiruzen begged.

"I am going out for a walk. I need time to think and be by myself. I have heard more than I can handle for one lifetime old man. Let me be."

Hiruzen couldn't find it in himself to make him stop. Nodding mutely, he released the seals on the door allowing Naruto to slip out.

Turning to Shibi he could see that he had lost a lot of respect in his eyes and rightly so. He deserved it and much worse. Even so, he issued his instructions to the Aburame clan head "Please keep an eye on him." Shibi simply nodded before disappearing in a buzzing shunshin – a specialty of the Aburame.

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Naruto couldn't believe it. All his childhood, he had wanted nothing more than to be acknowledged by the people around him but they associated the ultimate evil they had ever known with him. In a small way he could understand their fear of him but, did it really justify his mistreatment at their hands? And now, he found out that all of that could have been easily avoided if not for the old man's stupidity.

He headed for a public area, while watching the people around him. He saw children happily running around, friends meeting, couples mingling and a whole crowd of people who seemed nice, kind and happy. Then how could they be so mindless and unthinking? Was the fear of the Kyuubi so great that they would give up all pretence of humanity and jump a child of all things? What did his father see in them that he would sacrifice his life and that of his son for them? He wandered about observing people. Most that saw him ignored him and the few who didn't gave him a kind smile in greeting, which he had no intention of returning, of course. It was obvious to him that they had yet to recognise him. Lost in his thoughts he kept wandering about.

Walking around aimlessly, he found his feet automatically carrying him towards the one place in the village that he had no bad memories of. After 5 years, he stood in front of the Ichiraku Ramen stand that he missed so much. He was hesitating to go inside and had almost decided against it when a familiar musical voice called out "Don't just stand there! Come in please! _Inside_ is where you get the best ramen in the world!"

And just like that all his hesitation melted away at the sound of the beloved voice and he found himself stepping into the stand proper with a nervous smile. Would they be able to recognise him? Did they ever really care? Would they even have any reason to remember him?

"Welcome to Ichi- NARUTO!" Ayame shrieked half a moment after she caught sight of him.

Jumping across the counter she had already hugged him before he could get a word out. Holding him tightly she kept on asking questions without giving him a chance to respond.

"Do you have ANY idea how worried we were?! Where the hell were you for FIVE WHOLE YEARS?! Why wouldn't you say anything before leaving?! We kept asking around for you everywhere! What have you got to say for yourself huh?" Ayame had released him by now and was glaring at him. Even Teuchi had come out at Ayame's shriek and was just staring at him in shock and not a little annoyance.

Naruto was overcome by his emotions at the worry and concern the two were displaying. When he was with Yuki, there were only three faces that kept popping up into his mind whenever he felt homesick – the Hokage and the two in front of him. Thinking about the Hokage confused him – on the one hand, he was infuriated by his actions and the role he played in his suffering and on the other, he knew that the old man cared for him. Deciding to ignore the mess that was his feelings for the Hokage, he focused on the two on front of him. Teuchi looked the same as he did five years ago, while Ayame had bloomed into a beautiful young woman. She had a lithe and slender figure and stood maybe an inch or two taller than him. Her lustrous brown hair was covered by a kerchief that she wore to protect it from the steam and vapours. Her beautiful face was currently twisted in a scowl that did nothing to detract from her loveliness.

Smiling sheepishly Naruto greeted them "Hey there Ayame-nee and Teuchi-san."

That earned him a swift bonk on the head from Ayame. "Don't hey there me, you irresponsible brat! Where _were_ you?"

"OW! What was that for! I was gonna tell ya!" Naruto protested just out of principle. He couldn't even feel anything from Ayame's hit. Apparently Ayame also realised that because she reached behind her to procure a rolling pin. O-kay that _might_ hurt. Putting his hand up in surrender, he hastened to reply.

"Hey! Hey! Easy! I was sent out of the village for some secret stuff by the Hokage! I had to leave without warning! I got back this morning and this is the first place I came to after meeting with the Hokage!" 'The old bastard had better confirm the story for me'

"Forget it, I am just glad you are here now!" Ayame promptly glomped him again before guiding him to a stool at the counter.

"Hehehe so am I Ayame-nee, so am I"

"It is nice to see you Naruto-kun. It's good to have my favourite customer back after five years" spoke Teuchi once he settled down in his seat.

"Same pops! You won't believe how glad I am to see you!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.

Teuchi was relieved that Naruto was safe and whole. When he had disappeared five years ago, he was afraid of the worst. He knew the kind of things the worse elements could get up to and that had him worried. When Naruto failed to show up for so long even the Hokage's words failed to reassure him.

As he watched Naruto, he couldn't help but marvel at the changes in him. The boy had grown up well and was almost as tall as his sixteen-year-old daughter. He now carried himself gracefully, almost like a dancer - the clothes he had on also lent to the image. But most importantly, he was calmer than before. Coming out of his musings, Teuchi said with a smile "One Ichiraku special coming up! -"

"Hey-uh-pops I don't have any cash on me." Naruto mumbled in embarrassment.

"- On the house!" Teuchi continued in the same tone with a smile. Naruto looked up in grateful surprise at that.

"Seriously, Naruto-kun! You have come back to us after five years! Of course, the food is free – for today at least" Ayame said with a smile from behind the counter.

As Naruto chowed down on his first bowl with an "Itadakimasu!", Ayame struck up a conversation with him "I can't believe how much you have grown in all this time, you are almost the same height as me! And with how cute you look, I bet the girls will be all falling over themselves to go out with you!"

Naruto blushed at the comment but living with Yuki had caused him to swear that he would never let anyone win against him in a teasing match - without at least trying to fight back.

Still blushing slightly, he replied with a smirk "Meh, you have grown very cute too Ayame-nee. How about I ask _you_ on a date first?"

It was Ayame's turn to blush at Naruto's words. With a slight squeak she replied "While that is very nice Naruto-kun. I am five years older than you, try someone closer to your age."

"Oho? The age is your only concern huh, Ayame-nee? It won't matter in a couple of years and I will be a ninja by then too. I bet I could take you on _all_ sorts of adventures then." Naruto continued teasing while furiously waggling his eyebrows.

"Just – Just eat your ramen!" Ayame replied with an embarrassed huff "and stop laughing Tou-san!" she directed at her father before rushing into the back of the shop.

"That alone was worth a hundred bowls of ramen" Teuchi said to Naruto while chuckling hard.

"Thanks for the meal pops! I will be sure to be back again sometime soon." Naruto said to Teuchi while getting up from his seat.

"Think about the date Ayame-nee!" Naruto called loudly over the counter to make sure Ayame heard him. He only got louder banging of utensils in reply. Smiling at Teuchi even harder, he made his way out.

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The moment he was clear of the Ichiraku stand, his face fell and his thoughts took a darker turn. 'Would they be as welcoming if they found out what I was? Date, she said. For that, the primary requirement would be not running away from me in terror, which I don't think the girls will be able to avoid if they learn what I have.'

 **"Brat! I am not a disease – the fuck do you mean by 'when they learn what I have?' At least phrase it better if you must have a pity party that I can't turn down the invite to."** the fox growled in his head.

Jumping into his mind-space at that Naruto retorted "Aren't you? I was treated – _am_ treated like a monster because you are in me. If you weren't, I would have been normal."

 **"Foolish boy! I didn't ask to be sealed in your pathetic self. And what the fuck are you complaining about? If it wasn't for me you would be dead many times over. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have met the damn spider demon that you care so much about for some damn reason that escapes me. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be more powerful at eleven than what most people achieve at twice your age! Still think I am the worst thing that happened to you? Everything that happened to you can be laid down at the feet of the stupid fucks you call villagers."** the fox replied in an even more annoyed tone.

Naruto sat pondering his words before replying "You are right. While this wouldn't have happened in the first place if not for you, I cannot deny that I am stronger by having you with me. And you are correct about the villagers being stupid fucks. I just wish I knew what to do next. On the one hand I want to become more powerful by becoming a ninja, on the other, I feel like I can't trust the old man anymore."

**"Brat you seem to be confused.** **_We_ ** **were done with the conversation the moment you admitted I was right. If it is a demonic shoulder you wish to cry on, go find the spider bitch. I have no interest in your whining. Leave me in peace, begone."**

Naruto looked up at the cage in disbelief before jumping back out of his mind-space.

Maybe the fox was right, maybe he needed to talk to Yuki. Looking up towards the roof of one of the buildings he called out "Shibi-san I know you're there. Come out, I need to speak with you."

A surprised Shibi appeared before Naruto in a buzzing shunshin. "How did you know I was there Naruto-san?"

"I can sense chakra around me in a 100-metre radius" Naruto told him while lying about his range.

Shibi was surprised, natural sensors were very rare and even more valued in the ninja world. He was even more impressed by the fact that Naruto had managed to sense _him_ of all people. While he wasn't actively hiding his presence, his years as a track-and-capture specialist had given him chakra suppression abilities that even in its passive state was far more powerful than many others' active suppression. The fact that Naruto sensed him pointed not only to the presence of his ability but also to his proficiency at the skill.

"What can I do for you?"

"I need to get back to the shrine."

Shibi was taken aback and worried. "Naruto-san I cannot enter that place without first being summoned."

"I know, but I can. I just need you to give me permission to travel through your clan's lands. It would be rude of me to do so without your permission after all." Naruto clarified for him.

Shibi hesitated at the Naruto's requests. Seeing that, Naruto quickly clarified "I need to talk to the Joro-gumo. I will be back soon. Here, keep this bag with you. It has something very precious to me. No matter what happens, I will be back for it." Naruto handed him the bag containing his kusarigama. When he saw that Shibi was about to object, presumably afraid that he would run away and not come back – which honestly didn't sound too bad to him at the moment.

 **"If you even think about going back to stay in that forest - I. WILL. END. YOU."** the fox grimly promised him in his mind. Naruto quickly shut off the connection.

"Come on Shibi-san. I had promised that I would let her know personally of how things went with the Hokage. You don't want me to break my promise to her of all people, do you?" Naruto asked trying a different tactic.

That seemed to work as Shibi stiffly nodded and gestured for him to follow. During this, he had surreptitiously released a bunch of his Kikaichu to convey the message to the Hokage. With a slight smile Naruto followed him and soon enough had left the Konoha perimeter, heading towards the spider shrine.

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The Hokage went into a panic the moment he received Shibi's message. 'Damn it, what the hell was he thinking? What if Naruto doesn't come back? I can't believe I am going to lose him _again_ , in less than a day. Damn it all to hell!'

Realising that there was nothing he could do anymore he just sat back in his seat, cursing himself and the villagers. He could only pray that Naruto came back to him and gave him a chance to set right his mistakes.

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When Naruto reached the shrine, he found that Yuki was already waiting for him.

"Miss me, Naruto-sama?" she asked with a teasing smirk.

Despite the day he had had, Naruto felt a smile coming on at the familiar teasing. "I can't believe I am saying this, but yes, yes I did – only a little though." Naruto lightly teased back.

"Sick of the brainless humans already? I told you, they don't compare" Yuki said with a suggestive lilt that she managed to imbue to anything that she said.

"Why are you pretending like you haven't heard every single word that was spoken in that office today?" Naruto asked with a raised brow, well aware of the spider that Yuki had slipped into his clothes.

"I also heard the words spoken outside the office. That Ayame girl seems nice – for a human. I am so glad to see you utilising my teachings."

Ignoring her obvious attempts to get a rise out of him, Naruto steered the conversation towards more serious matters "What do I do now?"

"What you set out to do. Nothing has changed." Yuki replied calmly.

"How can you say that?! The old man was behind everything!" Naruto protested.

"Naruto-sama, you know very well that the old man acted out of stupidity and not malice. I am not asking you to hug him and swear your love for him and his damned village. I am simply asking you to get what you need from them until you are in a position to do whatever you wish."

"But …" Naruto wanted to argue but realised that Yuki was right. After all, it was the same conclusion he had come to after a little bit of thinking. Still, unforgivable stupidity was just that – unforgivable.

"Do you have any other option? You can't hide away in this forest forever, no matter how fun that would be - especially in a few more years" Yuki rubbed up against him with a positively lewd expression on her face. Seeing Naruto blush, she felt a bit better as she took it to mean that he was not too mired in his thoughts to listen to her. The only times she failed to get a rise out of him, were when he had been too occupied with a task or thought.

"I understand that Yuki, but just the thought of doing _anything_ for the villagers makes me feel sick." Naruto protested.

"The only thing that has changed since yesterday is that you now have knowledge of who is responsible for spreading the knowledge that you are a Jinchuriki. The villagers are the same as they were yesterday – weak, cruel and stupid. What did you tell yourself before going back the first time?" Yuki asked in a reasoning voice.

"That I was ready to put up with the villagers for the sake of my father. He cared about them enough to sacrifice himself, there must be _something_ about them."

"Exactly! Nothing has changed. In fact, you can use what you learned today to your advantage and get the old man to agree to anything. From what I heard, he will stop at nothing to keep you happy and loyal to the village. This will serve you wonderfully." Yuki replied happily.

Upon receiving a nod from him Yuki continued "You need to become a shinobi to reach your full potential. I could have taken you around the world and you could have learned elemental manipulation from Yokai who specialise in different elements, but unfortunately you are nowhere near strong enough to make them submit and give up their knowledge. You are not even strong enough to learn senjutsu, yet. Your time with the village will provide you a safe learning environment where you can grow and learn in relative peace. I don't think you will need more than two years with them if you work smart."

"Ugh. Fine! But I am not going back right away!" Naruto huffed at her.

Yuki laughed at his antics before replying "Of course not, Naruto-sama. I missed having you around and it is for the best that the Hokage stew for a bit. So … two weeks?"

"Two weeks" Naruto agreed with a firm nod.

 **"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO"** came the Kyuubi's pained howl.


	16. Spring Cleaning no Jutsu

The Hokage was having a shit morning … as usual. It had been a week since Naruto's re-disappearance and there was no sign of him. The only consolation that the Hokage had was that Naruto had promised to come back for his bag which he had left in Shibi's care. The exhausting conversation that he had had with the boy had woken the old man up to the various flaws in the system that he had let run unchecked for far too long. As a result of the promise he had made to himself about setting things right, he had decided to begin cleaning house.

He had decided that there were some matters which he needed to deal with on a priority basis. The first was removing any form of power the civilian side had over the shinobi's functioning – they had had far too much say in the matter for far too long.

The second item on the agenda was the removal of the thrice damned elder council. Now that he thought about it, what role did they even play except for being gigantic pains in his ass. Koharu and Homura were useless as shinobi, surviving only by being obscenely lucky and hiding behind him and their sensei. Now, they always blocked his motions in the council and conspired with the bandaged bastard Danzo and the civilian council. Thinking of Danzo brought on a fresh round of headache … and was that an ulcer he just felt?

Danzo had given him hell the first time Naruto went missing. The Hokage could still recall in vivid detail how the bandaged bastard acted all indignant at having lost the Jinchuriki. Danzo had been harping on for years about letting Naruto join his advanced training program *cough*Root*cough*. Hiruzen had put his foot down every single time. Even now, after his conversation with Naruto, if he was given the choice between having Naruto mobbed and having Naruto turned into a mute unfeeling zombie, he would gladly choose the former every single time. To make matters worse, the cyclopean bastard had learned of Naruto's brief return – through one of his spies no doubt. He had wasted no time in coming to his office and berating him over losing the Jinchuriki again and not taking steps to restrain him at once. It was only after Hiruzen had managed to rub Danzo's face in the fact that he was the Hokage and not Danzo's deformed self, and, that he would do well to keep his sanctimonious opinions to himself, that Danzo left him in peace – muttering vague recriminations all the way to the exit.

Taking his thoughts off Danzo, he focused on the day ahead of him. Today was the day that the entire village council was meeting. Today was the day he started shaking things up.

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Arriving at the council hall the Hokage could sense the nervousness of the members all around him. They could sense that something big was going to happen. Making his way over to his seat, he politely returned the greetings of the various civilian members and the shinobi council.

The moment he took his seat, Koharu's bossy annoying voice piped up "Why are we all gathered here today, Hiruzen?"

"You would have found out sooner if you didn't ask pointless questions. And it is Hokage-sama to you council-woman Koharu." The Hokage snarked at the now shocked woman.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama" returned a thoroughly confused Koharu, who quickly exchanged a glance with Danzo and Homura before sinking back in her seat.

"The reason we are gathered here today – the reason which I would have shared sooner if not for asinine questions – is that it has been brought to my notice that the governance system of our village is riddled with flaws. I intend to correct them before I leave the room." Hiruzen said in a a grave voice.

This got various reactions from the people assembled. The shinobi council was looking on with reluctant hope – was today finally the day that the Hokage did something about the useless civilian council? Experience suggested otherwise, but hope made the world go around.

The civilian council on the other hand was worried because they did not know what to be worried about. Their influence had grown over the years and especially in the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack, when they had cemented their positions by the means of loans, bailouts and monetary assistance to the shinobi side. Initially their role in the council was to supervise the reconstruction efforts of the shinobi and to ensure proper utilisation of funds. From there, their base of power increased till various factions and interests were represented in the council. Seeing an opening they slowly flexed their monetary muscle to gain power over the shinobi side as well. The support of the elder council also didn't hurt their endeavour. So, when they heard the Hokage taking the talks in a direction which suggested a possible change in the status quo, they were understandably worried.

One of the most pompous merchants spoke up with an infuriating smirk "Surely Hokage-sama, it can't be that bad that you needed to have all of us summoned at such short notice. Besides, the Konoha administration is a shining beacon in this world and I can't imagine that there are any flaws in it, much less grave ones. I don't see why we even need to be here."

The Hokage regarded the wobbling tub of lard that passed off for the head of the merchants with utter disgust. 'Have I really been letting such idiots call the shots for so long? Was I asleep this entire time? Oh Kami, this is way worse than I could have ever imagined! Forgive me Sensei!'

"Your place is not to question why. If I have summoned you, you answer. It is as simple as that. You appear and _disappear_ at my pleasure, Tomoda. You would do well to remember that." The Hokage returned with a slight growl in his voice.

The Hokage's reply immediately wiped the smirk off the fat man's face and he hastily nodded before flopping back into his seat, a sweaty mess. The look that the old man had directed towards him was enough to make him see flashes of his own death.

Ignoring Tomoda, the Hokage spoke again. "There are some changes that I am going to make which will be implemented immediately. The first, effective immediately, the civilian council will no longer have any say in shinobi matters -" that was as far as he got before the room descended into chaos. Shouts from various people rang out in an absolute cacophony and the guards didn't know what to do.

"We have rights -"

"You can't do this -"

"I demand -"

Suddenly everything came to a stop as a positively obscene amount of power and an unholy wave of KI pushed down on every single occupant of the room. The shinobi in attendance could only stare in wonder at the Hokage as they were reminded of exactly why the old man who had passed his prime a long time ago, was still considered the strongest and was the Hokage. The civilians on the other hand were writhing on the ground and frothing at the mouth from the Hokage's little display. Even Homura and Koharu had quietened down and were struggling to stay in their seat. In that instant they were reminded that no matter how much political power they gained; it was useless in the face of monsters that walked in the skins of men.

After letting it continue for a while the Hokage reeled his power back into him. Looking around the room with a glare, he allowed the would-be-rioters to come to. The moment he was sure that the civilians were in an acceptable condition, he continued his onslaught.

"For years, I have allowed you to run unchecked. No more!" Turning to the most vocal protestors he continued "You speak of rights?! … You get to enjoy what rights _I_ allow you to have. You presume to dictate what I can or cannot do?! … I am Hokage and my word _is law._ You dare demand?! … You demand nothing in a village of _ninjas_."

Standing up, he started circling the seated members and was pleased to see them flinch at his approach "For years I have watched and done nothing to stop you ingrates from worming your way into the system the Shodai instituted and bleed it dry. This stops now! Using the guise of supervising the reconstruction efforts you slowly usurped much of the council's independence. No more! As of this moment, the additional civilian seats that were granted in the wake of the Kyuubi attack are dissolved. Every. Last. One." The Hokage ground out in a dangerous sounding growl.

He looked around the room silently inviting a dissenting voice to just try. Oh, how he prayed that one would. Surely enough the fattest and the most obnoxious of the lot, Tomoda spoke up again in a shaky voice.

"Forgive me Hokage-sama, the seats were granted in return for the loans that were provided. What is to become of that then?" Tomoda all but dived under the table at the look the Hokage directed at him.

In a voice dripping with disgust, the Hokage replied "You may be stupid, Tomoda, but I am not senile, yet. The original loans were repaid a long time ago, the reconstruction phase is over. You have used the fresh loans that you extended to the shinobi, in the course of your natural business, as an excuse to stick around. Please enlighten me as to why simply conducting your business earns you a seat on the council. Go on."

Getting no reply from Tomoda, the Hokage turned to the room and continued "Konoha is known for involving the civilian body in its administration. Konoha was known for it even before it was polluted by greedy power-hungry politicians, who used the greatest tragedy we have faced as cover to worm their way in. We are simply going back to a system that we know worked best."

The shinobi council was overjoyed at the declaration. They did not enjoy having to answer to jumped up merchants who forgot their place in a _shinobi_ world and presumed to lord their political status over them. The ninjas were sick of putting up with smug merchants who poked their noses into things that didn't concern them and had grown accustomed to subverting the ninja operations to indirectly benefit their own business interests. Seeing the faces of the civilian council was like a balm to their soul and pride.

The civilian council on the other hand, was a mixed bag. On one hand were the ones who had just had their power bases dissolved, but were too weak and cowed to do anything about it. On the other hand, there were the civilian members appointed to the original seats who were split into two factions themselves. One faction saw the Hokage's action as a welcome move. They had always felt that the newcomers to the council cared less about the development of the village and more about their personal business interests. The other faction was worried because their interests were tied heavily with those of the newcomers.

After spending some time observing the faces around the room, the Hokage continued "The elder council of Danzo, Koharu and Homura have provided invaluable service to the village, especially in the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack."

Despite the first-of-its-kind rampage that their old friend and Hokage was currently on, the self-important fools could not help feel flattered and preened in their seats. Seeing this, the Hokage wasted no time in taking the wind out of their sails.

"I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the village to you, elders. However -". On hearing the 'However', the three of them felt an unnamed dread pervade over their respective beings. They could only wait in morbid anticipation for what the Hokage had in store for them. "- it is time that you went on a much-deserved retirement. I and the village can only hope that, should we ever find ourselves in need of your _enlightened_ guidance, we can count on you."

Having said his piece, the Hokage just stared at them silently as if daring them to try and protest. And they would have, on any other day, but this was a new Hiruzen – it was not the kindly village administrator beleaguered by paperwork, it was the man that had lived through the 3 great ninja wars and come out on top.

Surely enough, the elders folded. Trying to salvage what dignity they could, they stood up and bowed with Koharu taking the lead "We thank you Hokage-sama for acknowledging our meagre contributions to the village. We live and die for the great tree. Should our services ever be required, you need only call and we will be there."

Hiruzen was impressed in spite of himself. That was some masterful acting right there. If he didn't know any better or was an outsider, he almost might have believed her … almost. As it was, the three fooled none of the shinobi council members, they saw it for what it was – a particularly brutal layoff.

"There is a small amendment to that however. While the elder council is dissolved, Lord Danzo will remain in his capacity as my personal advisor in all matters relating to Konoha's defence." Hiruzen added, figuring it would be better to keep Danzo close, so as to make it easier to keep an eye on him.

Danzo recognised the play for what it was but could not help but marvel at the cunning and decisiveness his friend was showing. "It has always been and will continue to be my honour to be of service, Hokage-sama." Danzo replied solemnly before settling back down in his seat.

"That concludes our business for the day, unless, there is something else anyone wants to add." The Hokage addressed the room at large. On receiving no replies – big surprise, that – he nodded at the remaining members and swept out, leaving behind him a room full of stunned faces.

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It was a week later that Naruto was rushing through the forests with only the voice in his head for company. **"Please tell me you are not going to shut yourself in the forest like a little bitch the next time something slightly upsets you. If you must throw a tantrum, I will be happy to lend you my power and burn down that damned village."**

'I will be sure to keep your offer in mind' Naruto replied sarcastically to the fox.

 **"What is your first order of business?"** the fox asked.

'For now, just get some information out of the Hokage and see to becoming a ninja, why?'

**"Just estimating the chances of you running back to the forest like a little bitch."**

'Will you give it a rest already?!' Naruto snapped back in an annoyed tone.

Ignoring the fox, he turned his mind to the newest skill he had picked up in the past fortnight. He had finally figured out how to mix his suiton chakra with spider chakra to shoot out acid. It had taken him almost ten days to adapt his gullet to the corrosive acid the process involved, but now he could successfully melt through the trunk of a full-grown tree in five seconds with one acid bullet.

While he was busy with his recollections of the newest addition to his arsenal, he reached the Konoha perimeter as evidenced by the crowding of his senses. Quickly dampening his senses, he flew through the Aburame district and reached the centre of Konoha. Deciding to get some grub before tackling the Hokage, he headed off to the ramen stand.

"Heya pops! Ayame-nee! I am back!" Naruto cheerfully called out before plopping himself in front of the counter.

"Hello Naruto-kun! Good to see you're back. You were gone for only a couple of weeks this time! What will it be today? The usual?" a smiling Teuchi returned.

"Yeah and keep them coming! I am flush today!" Naruto said happily. When he had mentioned his cash crunch to Yuki, she had promptly taken him to one of her stashes and handed him a pouch while berating herself for being so forgetful. Naruto had a fair idea who had 'donated' to the stash but paid it no mind. He could use it better, anyway.

"Coming right up! Ayame will be out soon."

A few moments later Ayame walked out with his first bowl and smiled at him "Naruto-kun, you were gone for two weeks! I thought you were back for good, I expected you sooner."

Deciding to tease her Naruto spoke up with a cheeky grin "My friend told me that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I missed you too Ayame-chan."

Ayame blushed bright red at that "You – you – just eat your ramen! I would like to have a chat with this friend of yours! He is turning you into an incorrigible flirt!"

"It's a she and does that mean my flirting's working? Will you go out with me?" Naruto asked with a shit eating grin.

"I will end you, Naruto-kun." Ayame said in a sweet voice and that put a stop to Naruto's teasing real quick.

"Hey! Hey! No need to threaten my life!" Naruto begged with a laugh.

"Then stop acting like an ass maybe?" an only-slightly-blushing Ayame asked him with a smile on her face.

"Yea yea. So, what's new since I was last in the village?"

"What do you mean? Were you out again?" Ayame asked as Teuchi brought out his second bowl himself.

"Yea. Now tell me."

"Well, the Hokage got really pissed and removed about half of the civilians from the village council. Word is the elder council has gone into retirement, as well." Ayame said with a thoughtful expression.

"That's interesting." And to Naruto it really was. 'Seems like the old man is trying to change things up a bit. It might make things easier for me, but who knows.'

Finishing four more bowls Naruto paid for his meal and left, but not before teasing Ayame one last time and dodging a spoon thrown from the back of the store with frightening accuracy.

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The Hokage was having a shit morning … as usual. For some reason the paperwork seemed even more voluminous that morning and a part of him was certain that it was a dastardly revenge plot against him. While he was proud of the steps he took last week, it had brought with it a fresh batch of problems. While it was true that the civilians had left the council hall cowed and subdued, he didn't expect the more arrogant ones to take it lying down. Dealing with a bunch of jumped-up, moronic merchants _permanently_ was simplicity itself but, he didn't want to take steps that could result in bloodshed, of his own civilians no less. He could only pray that the civilians didn't take any treasonous actions. In other news, his old team mates had not raised a fuss but, he suspected that it was only a matter of time before they tried _something._

Taking a small break from his paperwork he found his thoughts turning towards Naruto. It had been two weeks since he had disappeared and a part of him was truly afraid, that this time he had lost the boy for good. Repeated inquiries to Shibi had yielded no result as he too was in the dark. Sighing wearily, he was about to turn to his work when a knock interrupted him. Bidding the person on the other side enter, he saw it was his assistant.

"What is it?" he asked her kindly.

"Sir, there is a boy at the door who claims that you are expecting him."

Hiruzen sat up at her words 'could it be?' "Who is it?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, Hokage-sama"

"Let him in! Quick!"

The assistant bowed out of the room as a familiar figure stepped in through the door.

Sighing in relief the Hokage began "Naruto-kun, I am so glad to see you. I was so worri …"

"One chance." Naruto cut in.

"What was that?"

"One chance. That is all I am willing to give you and this village." Naruto clarified for the Hokage.

"That is all I ever wanted Naruto-kun" the old man replied with some feeling in his voice "Please sit" he pointed towards the couch.

"If I am to stay here, I have a few conditions"

"What are those?" Hiruzen asked with caution.

"The first is that I want to know everything about my parents and any family that I might still have left."

Hiruzen was more than happy to comply with this condition "I would have done that for you anyway. There is just one thing in return I must request of you."

Naruto motioned for him to continue "I have to request that you don't take your father's last name until you achieve Jonin rank. I am willing to show and tell you everything but, for your sake and that of the village don't take up your family name until the time is right."

"I agree. I have no wish to compromise my safety." Naruto agreed with him while ruthlessly crushing down a retort about how little he cared about the village. Yuki had drilled it into his head that he would also have to be accepting of the Hokage's proposals … or at least appear to be so.

"That's a relief. What other conditions do you have?" the Hokage asked him curiously.

"Shibi-san has agreed to give me a place to stay. I hope -" Naruto began only to be cut off.

"Done! What else?" the Hokage agreed quickly, happy that Naruto had already started forging friendships with the people of the village.

"I want to be able to leave the village when I need to." Naruto stated cautiously. This was the point where both he and Yuki expected resistance. Surely enough, the old man immediately protested.

"I can't allow that Naruto-kun. I can't compromise your safety like that." The Hokage said.

Biting back a sarcastic retort, Naruto tried a different approach "Jiji, it won't be any different from any other leave. I will let you know of my movements and if it is my safety you are worried about, the only person I will be going on leave to visit is Yuki."

The Hokage was taken aback 'Visiting the Joro-gumo is his idea of vacation? What kind of weird relationship do these two have? The Spider Maiden obviously cares about the boy, she took care of him for five years and helped him grow stronger. Still visiting her means he won't go out of the Konoha borders and 'Yuki' will be able to protect him.' Naruto calling him 'Jiji' had mollified him as well, maybe there was hope that Naruto would think of him as a grand-father figure again.

"I suppose I can allow it but, I will need a detailed plan of your vacation days" the Hokage conceded to Naruto.

"Thanks Jiji, that is all I had to ask. I will let you know if anything changes" Naruto replied with a slight smile.

Hiruzen smiled back at him hopefully but Naruto's words struck him as odd 'What does he mean 'if anything changes' I just hope it is not something too outrageous that I can't grant. I can't afford to lose him again and honestly - he deserves at the very least, a little spoiling.'

"I need you to go and get settled at the Aburame's Naruto-kun. Once I am done with the office work for the day, you can come back here and we can discuss your parents and family without any interruptions." The Hokage suggested.

Naruto agreed and bidding farewell to the old man, set off towards the Aburame clan.

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Thirty minutes later, Naruto was standing at the entrance to the Aburame clan district. The moment he arrived at the gates; he was greeted by an Aburame guard.

"How may I help you?" the guard named Muta inquired of him in a polite but toneless voice.

"Yo. The name's Naruto Uzumaki and Shibi-san's expecting me." Naruto stated confidently, in way of greeting.

Normally Muta would have dismissed Naruto's claims outright. The idea of the head of the Aburame clan wanting to meet a random eleven-year-old was illogical. However, Naruto's presence alone gave him pause. That morning the Kikaichu were all abuzz with activity as they seemed to have sensed a powerful chakra signature. His own Kikaichu were acting in a similar manner in the boy's presence and that led him to conclude that he should at least confirm Naruto's story. All this reasoning took place within the span of half a second and Muta released a bunch of his Kikaichu to carry the message to the clan head at his compound.

"Please wait a while. I have sent my Kikaichu to notify Shibi-sama."

"No worries, I am sure he will be along shortly." Naruto replied with a grin.

Surely enough, barely two minutes after Muta had dispatched his Kikaichu, Shibi appeared in a buzzing shunshin.

Nodding to Muta, so that he could leave, he turned his attention towards Naruto. "Good to see you again Uzumaki-san. Is it alright to assume that you are here to stay, this time?"

Naruto grinned back at him sheepishly "Yea yea I am staying this time."

"That's good because we have already set up your quarters. Follow me." Shibi turned towards the district.

Five minutes later they were standing in front of a small but cosy looking two storey home, a little removed from its neighbours.

"I hope that you find the accommodations to your liking." Shibi said, leading Naruto into the house.

Naruto looked around and nodded his approval. The house was nice. The rooms were big and airy and he could see the backyard opening up to the forest, he only had to keep going straight to reach the spider shrine from his house.

Naruto was broken out of his thoughts by Shibi's words "The house has basic furniture and furnishings. Anything else you want; you will have to procure according to your preferences. Please don't hesitate to let me know if I can be of further assistance."

Naruto turned to him and replied sincerely "This is an amazing gift Shibi-san. Please don't worry yourself anymore on my account. This is already more than enough."

Shibi was pleased with his reply and said "It is the very least one favoured by the Spider Maiden deserves."

"Still, I appreciate it more than I can properly express Shibi-san."

"Please don't mention it. The bag you entrusted to me is in the bedroom upstairs. My compound is a few minutes down the path. Should you require any help call on me or any of my staff there. You have an open invitation to join us during meals at my house. I would also like for you to meet my son; he is the same age as you." He gave Naruto his key and left in a buzz.

Naruto decided to explore the house. Going upstairs he found that from his bedroom window on one side of the room, he could see the Hokage tower in the distance, the window on the other side had a view of the Aburame clan district and the forest beyond. There was another room on the floor which could serve as a second bedroom. Both the rooms had their own attached baths.

Going back downstairs he was happy to see that the house had its own basement. Maybe it could serve as a weapons storage room? Retrieving his Kusarigama, he decided to spend time in his backyard with it. He kept practicing with it till evening. Once it was time to meet the Hokage, Naruto put his weapon in a closet on the ground floor before leaving.

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Arriving at the Hokage tower, Naruto wasted no time in making a beeline for the office. Once again, he had his presence announced before being let in by the Hokage's assistant.

The moment Naruto entered, he was greeted by the old man's smile and gestured towards a seat.

"Please take a seat, Naruto-kun. I will be with you shortly" the Hokage spoke in an apologetic tone, while pointing at his paperwork.

Naruto nodded at him and decided to study the portraits of the past Hokages. He studied the portrait of his father and couldn't help but wonder how no one had made the connection before. They looked practically the same! His thoughts turned towards his mother and any other relatives he might still have left. He was broken out of his thoughts when the Hokage addressed him.

"Where would you like to begin Naruto-kun?" the Hokage asked after sealing the room with a sign.

"At the beginning, who were my parents?" Naruto asked in a voice laden with anticipation.

"Minato, your father was a war orphan and your mother Kushina, was the heiress of the Uzumaki clan"

This was the first time that Naruto was hearing his mother's name and could do nothing to stop the painful tightening in his chest.

"Please, tell me about them." Naruto requested the Hokage in a voice, thick with emotion. Despite his strength and extraordinary experiences, deep down, he was a still a boy who had never known his parents' love.

Hearing the vulnerability in Naruto's voice, the Hokage got a renewed urge to kick himself. Hastily complying, he proceeded to tell Naruto stories of his parents for an hour or so. When he saw that Naruto was feeling better, he broached a topic that would surely bring down the mood again.

"Naruto, there is one other thing you must know about your mother. Before you, she was the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi." The Hokage spoke in a cautious tone.

Naruto was shocked and the primary thoughts running through his head were 'Was she hated like me? How did the fox escape then?! Did … Did the fox kill her to get free?'

Jumping into his mind-scape he wasted no time in confronting the fox.

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"Fox! Come out, NOW!" Naruto all but charged the gates of the fox's cell.

**"What is it brat?"**

"Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto bit out in a dangerous tone.

 **"It never came up"** the fox shrugged.

"You bastard! Why did you attack the village? You killed my mother too?" Naruto was shaking in rage by now.

 **"I don't feel like telling you. And, maybe I did kill your mother, I can't tell. You humans all look equally pathetic to me"** the fox taunted with a cruel laugh.

Like every other time in the past, the fox played off the question of why he attacked the village all those years ago. _Unlike_ every other time, however, Naruto was well and truly enraged at the thought of having his mother's _murderer_ in front of him.

"You will answer me. NOW!" Naruto all but screamed at the fox.

The fox was outraged. How dare the boy order him around? Container or not, the boy was way below him as a being and still had the gall to make demands of _him?_ He was the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Wasn't it bad enough that even after being sealed, he was forced out only to be enslaved by those cursed eyes? Now he had to answer to this brat too.

Enraged, the Kyuubi revealed himself fully for the first time. All nine tails waving behind him menacingly, he poured out an insane amount of KI before roaring at Naruto **"YOU DARE?! YOU DARE MAKE DEMANDS OF ME?! KNOW YOUR PLACE BOY! I AM THE KYU-!"** the Kyuubi cut off, unable to continue, when out of the blue his senses were inundated with pain. Looking around with great difficulty he could only stare at Naruto in shock. **'This – this can't be! How is he doing this in here?!'**

Any other time Naruto would have been scared senseless at the Kyuubi's display. But today was different. Today, he had found out that the Kyuubi was responsible for his mother's death. And the fox dared to bluster at him? The fox dared to threaten him? Instead of fear, all Naruto felt was a blinding rage. In that moment, listening to the Kyuubi's declarations and fighting against the pressure the fox was exuding, Naruto wanted nothing more than to bring him to heel and make him answer. Just as both his mind and rage, both, reached their breaking point, Naruto exploded in a golden light and a veritable storm of golden chains shout out of him. The chains passed through the gaps in the bars of the cell in the blink of an eye and wrapped around the Kyuubi's neck, before pulling his head forward and smashing it against the bars.

Keeping the Kyuubi's head in place Naruto looked up to its single eye that was visible to him from that angle. "Listen to me and listen well, fox. In here, you are my prisoner. You do what I ask of you. Now answer me. Why did you attack Konoha? Did you kill my mother?" Naruto asked in a voice that showed he knew that he was in control.

The truth was, Naruto was just as surprised as the Kyuubi at his newfound ability to manifest the chains within his mind-scape. The chains were a mystery to him as well. What were the extents of its abilities? That was a question for another time, He had a fox to interrogate for now.

The fox, on the other hand, was scared. He was helpless in front of the boy. Never had he expected that the chains could be manifested inside the boy's mind. He wanted to not answer just out of spite but, he could feel the chains compelling him.

Growling in frustration, the Kyuubi replied **"Brat! I couldn't care less about your mother or this damned village! The night of the attack, I was ripped out of the seal when your mother was weakened from childbirth. I was put under a genjutsu that caused me to go on a rampage. I was not in control!"**

"Who did it?" Naruto asked, taken aback in spite of himself.

 **"An Uchiha. He used the Sharingan to gain control of me. He was the reason your mother died. Let me go!"** the chains had started hurting the Kyuubi.

"What is a sharingan? And give me a name!"

 **"It is the cursed power of the thrice-damned Uchiha clan. The strongest amongst them can put even Biju under their control using the Sharingan. I don't know who it was! It felt like Madara Uchiha! Let me GO!"** the Kyuubi was getting desperate now.

Naruto realised that he couldn't keep his hold on the Kyuubi any longer and reluctantly let his chains slip. The moment the Kyuubi was free, he disappeared back into the shadows. Naruto felt himself being ejected out of his own mind-scape.

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While the epic mental showdown was going on in Naruto's mind-scape, the poor Hokage was holding on for dear life. One moment, they were having an amicable conversation and the next, Naruto went rigid and started pumping out absurd amounts of chakra. The Hokage was sure that every single member of the sensor corps would be in a tizzy by now. 'Damn it, I thought that this would be a good way to educate him in the role of Jinchurikis. Why did it set him off like this?'

As he continued watching Naruto, who seemed to be lost in his own mind, the Hokage could only gasp in wonder when four golden chains made of chakra materialised from the boy's back. The wonder was replaced with alarm pretty quickly when the chains started flailing about every which way. When one of the pointed ends passed close to him, he decided to retreat to the other side of the office. When Naruto showed no signs of stopping, the Hokage got ready to subdue him. The hard part would be to subdue him in a manner that would leave him unhurt. Just as he was about to take action, Naruto snapped out of it and slid to the ground bonelessly, the chains disappearing.

The Hokage called in his scared looking assistant and asked her to lay out Naruto on the couch. Once that was done, he asked his assistant, who was also proficient in iryo-nin disciplines to check up on Naruto. Satisfied that Naruto was all right, he bade her leave while assuring her that yes, he was all right and no, the tired eleven-year-old was not an assassin sent by Iwa, Kumo or any number of enemies they had.

Naruto woke with a groan about half an hour later. He was confused for a moment before everything rushed back to him. He sat up to find the Hokage looking at him worriedly.

"Are you all right, Naruto-kun?"

"Yea, yea I am fine. Just a headache." Naruto groaned back.

"What happened to you? You were fine one moment and the next you were bringing down the tower around our ears." The Hokage asked in a half-joking tone.

"I didn't know that my mother was a Jinchuriki too. I went down to talk to the fox and got into a small disagreement." Naruto explained briefly.

'Small disagreement he says!' "Naruto-kun, what happened?" the Hokage asked him.

Naruto relayed the contents of his conversation with the Kyuubi to the Hokage. The result was a very worried Hokage. "But, Madara is dead! There is no way that he is alive! It has to be an impostor! But, who could it be?" the Hokage kept muttering to himself as he paced the room.

"Jiji, do you know who it was?" Naruto asked in a calm tone. Naruto had already sworn to rip the man from limb to limb when he found him.

"I hate to say this, but I don't know. Madara can't be alive, he was killed by the Shodaime. It was obviously an impostor." The Hokage returned in a worried tone.

"He said it was an Uchiha." Naruto reminded him.

"I know that, but all Uchiha, save two, are dead." Hiruzen then proceeded to tell him about the Uchiha massacre – the public version, of course.

"Don't worry, I will have this investigated immediately." the Hokage promised Naruto.

After a few moments of silence Naruto started his questions again. "My mother was the Jinchuriki before me? Why?"

The Hokage proceeded to explain the history of the biju and how they were distributed by the Shodaime, at the first Kage summit. In the course of explaining the Uzumaki bloodline gifts and their unique suitability for being Biju hosts, the Hokage asked Naruto about his chakra chains. "How long have you had access to your Chakra chains, Naruto-kun?"

"It's been a few years since I had them, why?" Naruto asked

"Your mother had the same ability as well. It is another reason why she was chosen as a host for the biju. Not much is known about the ability except that it is very rare amongst your clan and is rumoured to have biju suppressing abilities." The Hokage explained.

"Speaking of my clan, where are they? How come I never heard of any relatives?" Naruto asked in a tired sounding tone.

"I am sorry Naruto-kun, but you might as well be the last Uzumaki alive." The Hokage replied in a tone laden with shame and regret.

Naruto sat up in shock at that. "What happened Jiji?!"

The Hokage then went on to explain the tragic circumstances around the fall of Uzushiogakure. Naruto could only stare blankly at the Hokage. The first mention of a clan had engendered some hope in him that, maybe he had some family left in the world, but this felt like a fresh blow to him. "So, I have no one left?" Naruto asked sadly.

The Hokage decided against sermonising about how Naruto could make the village his new family. He had an idea about how well _that_ would go down. He decided to tell Naruto about his godparents instead.

"Naruto-kun, that is not quite true" the Hokage began. Naruto sat up expectantly.

"You have god-parents. Your godfather is Jiraiya, who was also your father's sensei and your godmother is Tsunade Senju, the grand-daughter of the Shodaime Hokage."

"Where were they all this time, then?" Naruto asked, his mood darkening again.

"Tsunade doesn't even know you exist. She left the village about a couple of years before you were born. She left out of grief for losing both her betrothed and little brother. She has been incommunicado ever since."

Naruto felt sorry for the woman and proceeded with his next question.

"And what of my godfather, Jiraiya?"

"Jiraiya is the head of the spy operations of Konoha and is almost never in the village, except for when he has something to report. He left you in my care." The Hokage had begun shuffling and looking down in embarrassment as he was reminded of just how well _that_ had worked out.

"Besides, if it is your clan we are talking about, I am certain that there are some Uzumakis scattered around the world. They are too stubborn to simply die out." The Hokage added, in a bid to cheer Naruto up.

It seemed to work a little as Naruto smiled slightly "Maybe I will find some of them one day."

"I am certain you will. And the village will be more than happy to welcome them." The Hokage returned in agreement.

The events of the evening had been taxing emotionally, mentally and in Naruto's case physically. The two of them sat lost in their thoughts for quite some time before Naruto spoke up again.

"Jiji, I want to be a ninja." Naruto stated simply.

"Of course, Naruto-kun. There was never any question about it." Hiruzen said with a smile. What else would the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki be?

"Why do you want to become a ninja, Naruto-kun?" the Hokage asked with some curiosity. He knew the boy's history. He was interested in his motives.

"My parents. They gave their life to protect me and I am not about to throw it away by not living up to my potential." Naruto replied. He figured **'I won't be eaten'** wouldn't get a warm reception from the Hokage and besides, what he said _was_ the truth. It was a new reason but it was just as genuine.

"You realise that you will have to work for the same villagers that you dislike so much?" the Hokage prodded Naruto even more.

"The Village. Not the villagers. I am willing to work for the village. I want to see what both of my parents saw in the village that they were willing to sacrifice everything for it." Naruto clarified.

The Hokage was satisfied with his answer and nodded happily at him. "I will sign you up at the academy first thing tomorrow. I must warn you that it might get difficult as you have to catch up to your year-mates. I suspect that you are more than ready for the practical part of the curriculum, it is the three years' worth of theory portion that you need to be worried about, Naruto-kun" the Hokage said with an evil smile.

Naruto realised just what it was that was in store for him and paled. Surely it wasn't too late to go back to Yuki? His parents would love him even if he did not become an official ninja of the leaf, right?

The Hokage could see the panic on Naruto's face and tried to comfort him "Iruka, the chief instructor is very good at what he does and will help you. Besides, you live in the Aburame clan district, don't you? I would recommend befriending Shibi's son who is in the same year as you. I am sure that with help, you will be ready for the graduation which is in … six months."

"Yeah, I will do that." Naruto replied in a slight daze.

"Is there anything else, Naruto-kun?" the Hokage asked.

Remembering his original purpose, Naruto sat up straight "Yes. I need help with my elemental manipulation."

The simple reply shocked Hiruzen. He knew that the boy was strong and had certain abilities but, elemental manipulation? That was a Jonin level skill! Surely, he couldn't do that! Especially at his age!

"Naruto-kun, you do realise that elemental manipulation is a Jonin level skill? Wouldn't it be better till you are a bit more advanced in your training?" the Hokage asked in a reasoning voice.

Naruto made an impatient noise in his throat before replying "I know what I am talking about Jiji. My water manipulation is very advanced. It is my other three elements that I want help in."

'Other elements?! What?! Three?! And he says that he is proficient in water manipulation! At his age?! Minato is your son a genius too?! This is going to be such a headache.'

Supressing his thoughts for a moment, the Hokage spoke in a defeated voice "Show me, please."

At that, Naruto nodded and immediately a tendril of water floated out of a container of water kept behind the Hokage's table. 'Did he just sense the presence of the water? There is no way he could have seen it. His affinity is Jonin level at the very least. Just how powerful is he?' The Hokage's thoughts were interrupted when the tendril formed into the leaf village symbol and hung in the air for a while. He was way beyond impressed and was about to commend Naruto and let him know what he thought about his skill when the water shot at him and drenched him. Spluttering in shock he was about to reprimand Naruto when Naruto held up his hand.

'He dares to drench me and then hold up his hand at me?! I am going to-!' The poor man was shocked even further when he saw the water drenching him begin to rise and form a ball around Naruto's raised hand, leaving him dry in the process. Looking up, he found Naruto grinning at him for all he was worth.

"How's that? Although, the pulling-out-water trick is new. I am not good enough to draw water out of the air – yet." Naruto said like it was the most natural thing in the world.

'What the hell was that?! How can he be so good at this?! Just what the hell has the Joro-gumo been teaching him?!'

In a strangled voice the Hokage replied "Very good Naruto-kun! Very good indeed! You said something about the other elements? Here -" the Hokage started rummaging in a drawer.

Pulling out a sheet of paper he handed it over to Naruto. "That is chakra paper. Channel some chakra into it and it will tell us your elemental affinities."

Naruto was interested 'So this is how _ninjas_ know their affinities? Let's see how correct Yuki was'. Naruto proceeded to push in a good amount of chakra into the paper in his hand. The result was interesting to him and shocking to the Hokage.

The moment the paper had taken in enough chakra, it split in two. The two halves then crumpled to the point of balling up. One ball of paper suddenly turned soggy, but it didn't stop at that. The soggy ball of paper started oozing water and then devolved into a floating puddle which dropped to the ground. The other ball of paper became a floating fireball before dispersing as ash.

"My heart can't take any more! You have four elements! Four! All except Earth. I suppose I can arrange for some instructors to take you through your elemental training." The Hokage spoke with the air of a man who had seen everything and was certain that nothing could surprise him anymore. "Which element would you like to learn first?" the Hokage asked Naruto.

Naruto's mind immediately went back to the only other element he had ever seen in action. The wind coated blades and Baku's jutsu had made an impression on him. So, it wasn't too difficult a choice for him and he simply replied "Wind."

"Ah, you had to pick the rarest element in the land as your first pick. There aren't many wind specialists of note in Konoha. The best one that comes to mind is my own son, Asuma. I will speak to him about training you. Besides, maybe even I could look in on your training from time to time." The Hokage said to Naruto.

Naruto was taken aback that the Hokage himself was offering to assist in his training "You?!"

"I will have you know I am rather good at this ninja stuff, Naruto-kun" the Hokage joked with a mock glare.

"I know that Jiji," Naruto replied with a snort before continuing "I was just surprised that the Hokage himself would be willing to help train me. Won't that distract you from more important things like paperwork? Convenient isn't it?" Naruto asked with a knowing smirk.

"I am sure I don't know what you are talking about Naruto-kun. Besides, it is the Hokage's job to ensure the growth of the next generation of shinobi. What better way is there to accomplish that than directly train the younger generation?" the Hokage replied with a beatific smile.

"Jiji, there is one more thing. I need instruction in buki-jutsu, especially the Kusarigama." Naruto ventured.

"The Kusarigama you say? A very versatile weapon. Don't know anyone who specialises in it I am afraid. But I am certain that we can find you an instructor." The Hokage paused a bit before asking "Why the Kusarigama?"

"It was a gift from Yuki." Naruto replied with a straight face.

"Ah, I see." The Hokage nodded.

"If that's all, I think we should head back for the night. My heart isn't what it used to be and I don't think I can handle more shocks. Remember to report at the Konoha Academy on Monday." The Hokage said to Naruto, preparing to head home for the night.

Naruto bid goodbye to the old man before deciding to jump out of the window on a whim.

'Oh, come on! Not another one!'


	17. Academy Ahoy!

Naruto Uzumaki.

'Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.' That was Iruka's primary thought on receiving the surprise communication from the Hokage's office. Additions to the class in the middle of the year were highly irregular. An addition in the middle of the final year and that too sponsored by the Hokage himself, was unheard of. The fact that it was for Konoha's most infamous resident who had not been seen for years, was just the cherry on top. Looking around the sensei's lounge he could see that the other instructors had also found out about the latest addition to the academy, if their dark mutterings were anything to go by. It seemed that even years of absence did not help the _demon brat's_ popularity any. Sighing at the others' inability or unwillingness to give the boy a chance, he turned to his co-instructor Mizuki who was wearing an absolutely disgusted expression.

"Can you believe this Iruka? The Hokage wants to actually give the demon training?" Mizuki asked Iruka in a voice dripping with loathing.

"The 'demon' is as much a part of the village as you are, Mizuki. He bears a great burden. He deserves your gratitude and not your hate. And need I remind you of the Third's law?" Iruka retorted in a stern tone.

Mizuki ignored the warning in Iruka's tone and continued regardless "Bah! Forget it! Why should we train it? What if it decides to turn on us?"

Iruka decided to put his foot down "Mizuki, hear me and hear me well. Our job is to teach whoever steps into the academy to the best of our abilities. The Hokage wishes for you to train Naruto? Then that's what you will do. Your place is to follow orders, not question them."

"The _boy_ won't last. He has too much to catch up to. I hope he fails." Mizuki spoke with obvious relish while taunting Iruka with his eyes.

Sighing in exasperation, Iruka got up to start his day, but not before one parting shot "It's sad that you feel so threatened by a _child_ who has not even entered his teens. Get your priorities right and do your job."

Ignoring the glares of the instructors who had heard his last remark to Mizuki, Iruka left for his first class of the day. It was time to meet Naruto Uzumaki.

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"Settle down everyone! That's enough now!" Iruka called out to the recalcitrant brood of troublemakers he called his students.

"Settle down, there is a new student joining us today." Iruka announced once some semblance of order had been restored.

That got everyone's attention … and the whisperings broke out anew as they began discussing among themselves. Suddenly a pink haired girl blurted out "But Sensei! We are only six months away from graduation, how will the new kid catch up?"

"The new _kid_ is the same age as you Sakura. I am certain that we will figure out something soon. I haven't met him either." Iruka replied with a smile.

"If that's all … Please come in Naruto!" Iruka raised his voice at the last part so that Naruto, who was on the other side of the door heard him.

A moment later the door slid back and the space was occupied by a striking figure. Walking in confidently, Naruto turned to the class with a smile and spoke in a voice that carried to the ends of the class "Yo! Nice to meet you all. The name's Naruto Uzumaki."

Taking in Naruto's appearance, Iruka nodded in approval. The boy moved like a ninja and had the dressing part down pat. For some reason, the word 'dancer' came to Iruka's mind unbidden as he watched Naruto walk in. While Naruto moved with the tautness of a coiled snake ready to spring at any moment, he also had a fluidity to his movement that reminded Iruka of high society courtesans for some strange reason. Taking his mind off of his weird comparisons, he found himself impressed with Naruto's appearance and choice of attire.

The blonde wore his hair in a manner that at first glance, almost reminded him of Kakashi Hatake. Naruto was easily amongst the tallest in his year and wore his hair spiky and off to one side. But unlike Kakashi's gravity-defying mop, it fell forward and to the side in a layered cascade that framed his handsome face. He wore a full sleeved blood-red jacket that appeared almost black and had fingerless black gloves on his hands. The jacket had a high collar and a hood and was currently open halfway till mid-chest level, revealing a black mesh shirt. Naruto also had on a pair of grey-black ANBU style trousers with bandages around the right thigh and a kunai pouch. He also had a standard issue belt with a tool pouch attached at the hip and wore a pair of steel toed boots with the ends of his trousers tucked into it. Rounding off the outfit was a wide swathe of white bandage around his waist which acted as a holster for his chokuto, which he carried behind him at waist level.

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Waking up the morning after his talk with the Hokage, the first thing on Naruto's mind was the masked man who had pretty much murdered his parents and half the village. The Hokage had promised to investigate the matter and besides, he was too weak to do anything about it, even if for some unimaginable reason the bastard turned up. Realising that there was no point brooding about the masked bastard, he got up to face the world and the problems he had at the moment. The old man had signed him up to attend the academy from Monday and it was Saturday.

Deciding to not waste time at all, Naruto opted to first purchase some ninja gear. He decided that he could not go to the academy dressed as he was. Naruto dismissed a few stores in the central market which sold ninja equipment, just on the basis of their looks. After wandering for an hour, he found himself standing in front of a store close to what he knew was _an_ ANBU office. The sign which simply said "Higurashi Weapons", was muted, unlike the flashy storefront designs of the other places he had just dismissed. It was unobtrusive, to-the-point and spoke of professionalism – all favourable points in Naruto's mind.

Entering the store, he looked around in approval at the orderly manner in which everything was organised. The weapon racks were sorted by type. The armour section once again, was similarly ordered. There was a separate section for projectiles, seal tags and other varied tools. While he was busy taking in his surroundings, he sensed the approach of a person and turned around to face him.

"Good Morning. Welcome to Higurashi Weapons. I am Kinta Higurashi, the owner of this fine establishment. How can I help you?" the giant of a man addressed Naruto in an amiable tone.

"Hello, I am Naruto Uzumaki. I will be starting at the academy on Monday. I was hoping to buy some gear." Naruto returned politely.

Kinta was taken aback, for many reasons. First, the boy in front of him was almost at the age to graduate, why was he starting so late? Second, his shop catered almost exclusively to ANBU and experienced ninja, how did the boy even find out about the store? And finally, he recognised the name. He knew what the boy carried within him and unlike most of the others, he recognised his sacrifice.

"Well then, you have come to the right place. If you don't mind my asking … there are plenty of bigger stores in the main market. Why did you come here?" Kinta inquired in an interested tone.

Naruto simply shrugged in reply "They were too loud. What kind of store for _ninjas_ is so colourful and noticeable?"

Kinta was tickled at the reply. Chortling at Naruto he replied "A discerning customer, I see. I must warn you though Naruto. My shop has only the highest quality wares that I craft with my own hands or procure from the best sources. Only ANBU and the most experienced shinobi purchase their wares here because my stuff is far costlier than what you will find out there. But I assure you that it is well worth the money."

"It's no problem. I would rather spend more money on things that will last longer than keep purchasing inferior stuff. I save more this way." Naruto replied with a nod.

"Well said my boy. So, pick up whatever you need." Kinta said nodding to Naruto.

Nodding at the man, Naruto began at the clothes and armour section. Dismissing heavy armour out of hand, he turned his attention to light armour and clothes. He was drawn towards a blazing orange jumpsuit but the rational part of his mind told him that it was a wearable death sentence. Besides, wasn't he the one who was complaining that the other stores were loud? What the hell was this then?

Turning away from the beautiful (to his mind) clothes with a heavy heart, he started looking at the other options. Despite the urging of the more rational part of his brain, he was hell bent on having at least some colour in his outfit. Finally, after rows and rows of black, grey and blue, his eyes alighted on a dark red jacket that was almost black. Picking it up he could only marvel at the lightness and quality of the garment. Its texture was almost as smooth as the webs he could produce and felt about as strong!

Taking the jacket to the counter he asked Kinta "Hey, Higurashi-san? What is this made of?"

"Oho, that's a nice pick Naruto! It is made of silk gathered from the webs of the strongest and oldest Chakra spiders from the forest of death. It is as tough as light armour, maybe tougher. It is extremely hard to damage and even if something does get through, you can channel chakra through it and it will mend itself." Kinta said in an excited voice.

No wonder it felt familiar! But … the forest of death? Seriously?

"What is this _forest of death_?" Naruto asked in a slightly sceptical tone. He had lived in THE forest of death for half his life and went there for vacations. What was this cheap knockoff?

"Oh, I forgot. You wouldn't know about it." Kinta began with slight embarrassment "It's the nickname for the most difficult training ground Konoha has to offer. It is full of chakra mutated beasts whose numbers never seem to end. Even the most experienced shinobi find it challenging to venture too deep."

"I see. Say, if I can get you silk of even better quality … will that fetch me discounts?" Naruto asked with a sly smile.

Kinta was intrigued at Naruto's proposal. His first impulse was to laugh it off but his interactions with Naruto so far, told him that Naruto was probably not the kind to talk out of his ass. He seemed too mature for his age. Agreeing to give Naruto a chance, Kinta replied "That's a bold claim Naruto. If you get even the same quality of silk, I can see myself giving you generous deals. Hell, if you find excess, I can give you a majority share in the proceeds from sales."

"You have a deal!" replied a triumphantly smiling Naruto. He would be practically spitting out money with his web jutsu. 'I love you, Yuki!' Naruto screamed in his mind.

At the same moment, a certain Joro-gumo, who was in the middle of tormenting a hapless 'Yokai Hunter', sneezed. Unbidden, the thought of her master crossed her mind before she dismissed it and renewed her attention on the still screaming fool below her "Now, where were we …"

Returning to the moment, Naruto decided to get on with his purchases. He asked for pants with properties similar to his jacket and was disappointed to find that the best he would get was ANBU issue. Still, he could come back with some silk and get a pair made. He then got the remaining items like a mesh shirt, gloves and boots, all ANBU grade.

Then came the turn of ninja tools and weapons. "I would recommend that you carry a B-rank mission grade tool pouch. It doesn't hurt to have extra." Kinta suggested.

"I will have an A-rank then." Naruto replied. Chuckling at his newest customer's enthusiasm, Kinta procured the requested kit.

"Hey, Higurashi-san? How hard is it to make your own exploding and storage seal tags?" Naruto asked.

"Not too difficult once you master the process but, that's where the trouble is, isn't it? Sealing is basically an esoteric art. The more commonly available seals are all about explosions, storage, silencing and the like. If you learn the art and make good tags, I will even buy them off you." Kinta explained.

Naruto nodded his understanding. His parents' prowess with seals had come up in his discussion with the Hokage. The Hokage had promised him education in fuinjutsu and his parents' notes. All the more reason to get a head-start on his education then.

Naruto was almost done when he decided to buy a weapon as well on a whim. It was better to have a variety of options anyway. His Kusarigama skills would take time to develop, especially without a teacher. So, he might as well pick up a second useful weapon for which he would have plenty of instructors. Disregarding most of the blades on display, he zeroed in on a simple chokuto. He would come back for a chakra conducive variant once he gained some proficiency in kenjutsu.

Seeing his pick, Kinta commented "Picking up kenjutsu are we? That's a great choice you made there. Remember to treat the weapon with respect and it will never fail you."

Nodding his understanding, Naruto took his purchases to the counter while picking up extra sets of shirts and pants for the final tally.

Mentally cringing in anticipation, he asked Kinta "Well, how much is it then?"

Chuckling at Naruto he replied "Well the total comes to around 75,000 ryo"

Naruto's mental cringe became very physical. Seeing that Kinta hastened to add "But, because I like you and there is a good chance that we will become business partners, I am willing to bring it down to 60,000 ryo … and throw these in, for the silk" Kinta threw a bunch of storage scrolls at him.

Naruto agreed that the deal was generous enough, accepted it and emptied his pouch. He would make the money back soon enough, thanks to his webs.

"See you soon then, partner" Naruto said in way of farewell to Kinta and headed out after getting a similar farewell in return. 'This will be interesting. The boy will go far.' Kinta thought to himself. He had seen generations of shinobi and had been one at a point. He knew potential when he saw it.

Naruto then got a haircut and spent the rest of the weekend producing webs and storing them in scrolls the way Kinta had showed him. He also spent a lot of time experimenting with throwing shurikens and kunais around. His unnatural reflexes and senses helped him a lot because, by Sunday night he had a 7-8 accuracy score out of 10 with his thrown weapons.

He would be ready for anything the academy could throw at him.

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While Iruka was busy assessing Naruto, the others weren't too far behind.

The girls for the most part, were taken in by Naruto's looks. 'Omigod he's cute!' was the general consensus amongst the female population. The guys on the other hand were divided, one section couldn't honestly care and the other section was jealous of him, seeing the effect he had on the girls.

Ino Yamanaka, the heiress to the Yamanaka clan and Sakura Haruno, the daughter of one of the civilian council members were having a small crisis of faith at Naruto's appearance. 'This guy is as cute as Sasuke-kun and he looks just as strong.' But such is the wonder of faith … it is only as strong as the obstacles it overcomes. Ruthlessly pushing down all doubt and heretical thoughts, the both of them renewed their commitment to the cult of Uchiha with great fervour. 'No way he is better than Sasuke-kun! This guy is a poser! He is no match for an Uchiha, especially one as great as Sasuke-kun! I wonder if he will go out with me?' the both of them screamed in their minds, unknowingly mirroring each other's thoughts perfectly.

Hinata Hyuuga, the Hyuuga heiress, for some reason that she couldn't identify felt safe just looking at him. A memory of a boy protecting her when she was little, came to the forefront of her mind. She never saw the boy again after that, and she had looked. She simply looked away with a bright blush. Could it be him? Would he even remember?

Shikamaru Nara, the Nara clan heir and resident lazybones genius woke up from his nap, took in Naruto's appearance and people's reaction to him, declared the situation 'troublesome' and went back to sleep. His closest friend, Choji Akimichi barely spared Naruto a glance and went back to snacking. Shino Aburame had met Naruto a few times when he came over for meals at his place. Catching Naruto's eye Shino simply gave a small nod in welcome, which Naruto returned.

Sasuke Uchiha, the lone survivor of the Uchiha clan, the elite of elites and Kami's gift to mankind - if his own idea of himself and the villagers' esteem for him was to be believed - sat brooding in a corner, while being flanked by various girls. He looked at the newcomer for a moment before turning away with an arrogant sniff, presumably to brood some more. Deep down, he did not like the fact that Naruto had stolen even a bit of the attention that he, the last Uchiha rightfully deserved. To Sasuke's mind, Naruto was just a clan-less commoner who would soon know his place.

The strongest reaction to Naruto came from an unexpected direction. Kiba Inuzuka felt his hackles rise and his instincts scream at him the moment Naruto entered the class. Some deep part within him was screaming at him that he was in the presence of a stronger predator. That same part was also giving off a sense of familiarity, leaving him both anxious and confused. It was all he could do to not growl at Naruto.

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While most of the class was busy assessing Naruto, Naruto was assessing them right back. His sensor abilities told him right off the bat that there was not a single person in the building, instructors included, that was stronger than him in terms of Chakra. Still, that was no reason to grow overconfident. Even a genin could kill a Kage under the right circumstances after all.

Turning his attention to the class, he found them to be far weaker than him, the only exception was the arrogant Uchiha bastard. He was not strong enough to make much of a difference to him, but the bastard was leagues ahead of the others nonetheless. At the Uchiha's rude display towards him, Naruto felt an urge to zip over to him and ram the chokuto into his gut. Dismissing those thoughts, he turned to the others.

Most of the girls were looking over at him and giggling shyly amongst themselves. That made Naruto feel good about himself but he asked himself 'How long will _that_ last I wonder? Soon they will know about the demon brat and they will look at me differently … too bad for them. This time, I am ready.'

Turning his attention to the other clan heirs Shino had told him about, he saw the lazy Nara and his Akimichi friend doing exactly what he expected of them. Shino nodded at him and he returned the gesture. The Yamanaka girl was simply disappointing and the pinkette on the other side of the Uchiha _looked_ loud. Dismissing the two both from his mind and as people, he turned to the only other female clan kid he knew of. The white eyes were a dead giveaway. The Hyuuga girl seemed deathly shy but a nice, gentle sort. Maybe he would get to know her some other time.

The biggest surprise to him was the Inuzuka kid. He had seen the other Inuzukas up and about the village with their canine partners. All of them pinged his senses in a strange way, like there was something more to them than could be seen. Each time he saw an Inuzuka, he felt an odd itch behind his eyes. However, looking at the Inuzuka in front of him, he felt the itch behind his eyes come on with a vengeance unlike anything he had experienced before. Giving into his instincts, he allowed chakra to flow to his eyes and it was all he could do to not gasp out loud at what he saw. Hanging over the boy was a spectral form of a dangerous looking dog spirit. In that one moment, Naruto knew without a doubt that he was looking at the mark of an Inugami.

Nodding once again at the class, he confidently made his way to the back of the class and took a seat in the same row as the Nara. Once he was settled, he allowed his mind to go into overdrive. All at once, Yuki's stories about different Yokai came rushing back to him. The legend of the Inugami was foremost amongst them. The Inugami was said to be a dog-guardian spirit which brought great power to the person or family it was bound to. Everything made so much sense now! Other people raised dogs; those did not turn into jutsu spamming whirlwinds of death! It was now obvious to Naruto that some ancestor of the Inuzuka had the allegiance of an Inugami at some point. That was the reason why their entire bloodline had feral Yokai-like characteristics and powers. Kiba must be the direct descendant of the one with the Inugami and that was why the mark manifested so clearly over him. Thankfully, Naruto could tell that there was no active Inugami with the Inuzukas, just the blessing of one from the past.

While Naruto was considering the epiphany he had had about the Inuzuka clan, his mind went to the changes his own body was going through, thanks to Yuki's chakra. The Spider based powers and night-vision were old news. The demon-vision and the fledgling chakra viewing abilities were new to him. What was he becoming? Still, he had no place to complain right? The perks were awesome!

Naruto was disappointed in spite of the already low expectations he had come in with. The instructor, Iruka, seemed like a good sort. Naruto could tell from the first glance that Iruka recognised him, his name at least. Despite that, Iruka treated him just like any other student. That alone raised Iruka's standing with Naruto to a great degree. However, respect or no respect, three hours of lecture on 'the will of fire' could bore a healthy man to the point of catatonia. Naruto, recognised the danger such boredom posed and promptly followed the Nara's example and went off to sleep.

After the lecture, the entire class was taken to the field to be put through conditioning exercises. Naruto didn't even feel a thing and breezed through all of them much to the older students' chagrin, at a newcomer beating them, and Iruka's joy. The only other people who were in good shape were the Inuzuka, the Uchiha and surprisingly enough the Hyuuga. Ignoring the challenging glare of the Uchiha, Naruto walked back into the building and slept till the ending bell.

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The moment Naruto walked out of the building, he picked up a strong chakra signature following him. The person in question was very good at supressing his presence but it was not enough to evade Naruto's unnaturally good senses. Figuring that the person probably didn't mean him any harm, he simply pointed at an empty seating area, sure that his follower would get the message. Sure enough, the moment Naruto sat down on the bench, a figure shunshined next to him, already seated.

The newcomer was a tall man, with brown eyes, olive skin, short black spiky hair, and a beard. He was dressed in the standard Konoha Jonin uniform and also had a cigarette sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

"Good senses, kid" he said to Naruto with a lazy smile "I was sure that dad was exaggerating when he first told me."

"Thanks for the compliment. Who are you?" Naruto had an idea that this was the Hokage's son but asked just to be sure. The Hokage was the only other person who knew about his ability and had promised to get his son to meet him … didn't take a _genius_ to make that leap of logic.

"I am Asuma Sarutobi. The old man sent me." He replied in the same lazy tone.

"For my wind element manipulation training?" Naruto asked in excitement.

"Yeah yeah, the same. Imagine my surprise when the old man hauls me up out of nowhere and tells me to go train a gaki who is not even a genin yet, in elemental manipulation no less! Normally I would have hid somewhere but, even I gotta admit that I was eager to see the newest Konoha genius." Asuma drawled.

"Please, I am not a genius. That word is thrown around like confetti around here. I am simply just too good at what I do." Naruto replied with a small smirk.

Asuma smirked back at him. "Oho! you are not a genius; you are simply awesome. Is that what you are telling me Gaki?"

At Naruto's shrug he let out a short laugh before continuing. "The old man tells me that you are rather advanced in water manipulation. That makes it easy for me, thankfully."

"That's good to know. When do we begin?" Naruto asked

"Now." He replied with an even lazier smirk.

"What!"

"Kid, I am a busy man. I have got … stuff to take care of. You already know the basics of elemental manipulation. Hear my words and apply them at your own leisure. There is no need to make a fresh appointment." Asuma explained.

"Go on." Naruto said with slight uncertainty.

"The first thing you need is … this." Asuma picked up a leaf off the ground.

"The second thing you need to do is feel for the air around you. Sense it's chakra presence or flavour if you will, the same way you did for water." Asuma explained further.

"Then, make the wind rub against itself and create a blade. Cut the leaf with said blade … like so." Asuma demonstrated by cutting the leaf cleanly in two equal halves.

Naruto, to his credit understood everything and was confident he would be able to take it from there.

"What happens after that?" Naruto asked the lazy Sarutobi in front of him.

"Eh?" came the confused response.

"What other exercises should I do after I accomplish this?" Naruto clarified.

"Confident aren't ya? … Gaki even for you, this will take almost a month, a couple of weeks if you are lucky. I will find you after two weeks to tell you 'I told you so.' How's that sound?" Asuma half-explained and half-taunted.

"I am confident that I will get it in a few days at most. What should I do after that?" Naruto queried in an even tone.

"Gaki if by some miracle you turn out to be the second coming of the Shodaime and get the exercise, try cutting up bigger and tougher stuff." Asuma laughed.

"Thank you. I will let the old man know once I have got this down." Naruto said.

"Sure sure. Whatever floats your boat. See ya after two weeks then." Asuma poked him one last time before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

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Naruto swung by the market to pick up some groceries. He figured he would get some shopping done before word spread of the _demon brat's_ return. He gave it a couple of days at most. He had already seen the parents who had come to pick up the kids from the academy pointing at him and muttering amongst themselves.

Feeling too lazy to actually cook and not feeling like having ramen, Naruto decided to utilise the open invitation for meals that Shibi had offered him. Making his way to the Aburame district he deposited his chokuto in what was turning into his weapons closet before heading towards Shibi's compound.

Each time that he had been here, his presence would be announced beforehand by the Kikaichu that were present everywhere on the property. Surely enough, Shino himself greeted him at the door of the main house.

"Naruto-san, welcome. We were hoping you would join us for dinner. Father wants to know about your first day at the academy." Shino said in the way of greeting.

"Shino how many times have I told you to drop the honorifics. We are in the same class and might end up in the same team, for crying out loud!" Naruto protested.

"It is not proper." Shino replied simply before turning around and leading the way with an exasperated Naruto following behind.

This argument had been occurring since the day the two had met and unknown to Naruto, Shino found it very funny to rile up the blonde over such a trivial thing, not that he would ever let it show on his face.

"Ah, Uzumaki-san welcome. The look suits you. You look the part of a shinobi." Shibi said by way of welcome.

Muttering about Aburames and their obsession with honorifics Naruto took the seat at the table.

"Thank you for having me over, Shibi-san." Naruto politely replied.

Shibi was confused by Naruto. He couldn't quite figure out the boy. One moment he acted like a brash child and the next moment he was politeness itself.

From there, the conversation revolved around Naruto's first day at the academy and how boring he found it, all throughout dinner. Naruto managed to get an important piece of information out of the Aburame clan head in the course of their conversation. There was no fixed attendance requirement at the academy. As long as one passed the graduation, one was free to do whatever they wished. The moment Shibi let it slip, he knew he had messed up big time, if the positively evil smile on Naruto's face was anything to go by. He knew it would be pointless to dissuade Naruto and let it go.

"Shibi-san, I have a favour to ask of you." Naruto ventured as soon as the meal winded up - he just had an idea.

"Please, Uzumaki-san. If it is within my power, I will see to it that it is done immediately." Shibi spoke solemnly.

"I am working on elemental manipulation and thought that it would be best to pick up some elemental jutsus as well. I would get a few from the library but I am not a genin yet. Is there any way you can arrange for me to get a few?" Naruto asked hopefully.

Shibi considered the request for a while. Their clan wasn't big on elemental ninjutsu, preferring to use their Kikaichu, but they had a decent library nonetheless. It wouldn't hurt to share a few jutsus with the boy, especially considering his relationship with the Joro-gumo.

"That shouldn't be a problem. I would recommend starting off with D-rank and C-ranks for now. Which elements would you like?" Shibi asked in return.

"Thank you so much. Water, Wind, Lightning and Fire." Naruto listed out simply.

Shibi was taken aback, not that one could tell from his face. 'Working on elemental manipulation? At his age? And attempting four no less! The boy is ambitious! But does he really have affinity for all four? This is unheard of!' "Very well, you can have them. I only ask that once you are done, kindly return them."

"Of course, Shibi-san!"

Shibi led Naruto to the doors of his library and asked him to wait outside. He was out a few moments later with an armful of scrolls. Taking out a blank storage scroll, he sealed the jutsu scrolls in it. He then handed over the scroll to Naruto and bid him good night.

Naruto was overjoyed at his haul. Unsealing the scroll back at his place, he was tickled to find two jutsus from each element he asked for. The objective was simple. He needed to get a feel for the other elements. He had been using the water element for so long that he couldn't even picture the wind element in his mind properly. He felt like he was missing something and falling short by just a hair. He decided that the best way of learning was by doing and as a result, embarked on his current course of action.

Studying his haul, Naruto found that he had the following:

Suiton - Teppoudama (Water Bullet) C-RANK. The user launches a water bullet at the enemy.

Suiton - Suijinheki (Water Wall) C-RANK: Creates a defensive water wall.

Fuuton - Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough) C-RANK: The user exhales a powerful and compressed gust of air at the enemy.

Fuuton - Reppushou (Gale Palm) C-RANK: The user claps his hands together and unleashes a powerful wave of compressed air from the palms.

Raiton - Raikyuu (Lightning Ball) C-RANK: The user creates a ball of lightning that is hurled at the enemy.

Raiton – Raiju Tsuiga (Lightning Beast Tracking Fang) C-Rank: The user forms lightning in their hand and launches it at the opponent in the form a hound to attack them.

Katon – Housenka (Phoenix sage fire) C-rank: The user spits a volley of small fireballs into the air and controls each individual flame with their chakra, allowing them to guide each at the target. Pumping more chakra increases the number as well as the size of the fireballs.

Katon – Ryuka (Dragon Fire) C-rank: The user collects chakra in the lungs and blows them out as a flamethrower. Can be used with gunpowder laden wire.

Deciding to start the next day, he sealed all of them back and went to sleep.

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Naruto sleepwalked through the first half of his second day at the academy and deciding that he had better things to do, cut class halfway. He had forgotten to turn in his web haul at Higurashi's. Opting to correct that particular oversight, he immediately made his way over to the store. On his way there, he noticed dark glares aimed at him. 'That was faster than I expected'. Naruto glared back at a few of the sheep till they looked away, just for the heck of it.

Entering the Higurashi store without any fanfare, he called out at the top of his voice "Yo! Kinta-san! It's your new business partner. I have got the goods."

Kinta came out from the back, a few moments later. Looking at Naruto in astonishment, he asked "Already?!"

"Yup! I told you I would get the stuff." Naruto replied with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Well, come on over to the other room. Use the door." Kinta pointed at a side door that led to another area in the building he had not yet been to.

Naruto went through and found himself in a storeroom. "Let's see it then" Kinta said coming out of another door. Naruto nodded and unsealed the storage scrolls and the room exploded in an eruption of white. The results of the unsealing actually left the large man gasping for breath. After slowly reaching out and touching the webs and feeling for its quality, he turned to Naruto. "This is the best silk I have ever seen. It is on par or maybe even better than your jacket. And how the hell did you find SO MUCH?!"

"That's _my_ trade secret." Naruto replied with a smug grin.

"Kid, this is easily worth 75000 ryo." Kinta replied, still in a daze.

"That's good. What's my cut?" Naruto asked.

"I was thinking 50,000 ryo" Kinta responded, settling back into business mode.

"No can do partner, I did the hard work of procuring it. I think I deserve at least 65000 ryo." Naruto countered.

"The best I can do is 60,000 in return for more silk by this weekend. I will even throw in storage scrolls for free." Kinta returned.

Naruto was not wholly convinced but agreed anyway "Fine."

Pocketing his money and the storage scrolls, Naruto headed back to his place. He had the elements to master.

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Once he arrived at his place, he wasted no time in unsealing the Jutsu storage scroll and took out the scrolls for Suiton:Teppoudama, Suiton: Suijinheki and Futon: Daitoppa. He figured the first proper jutsu he learned should be a Suiton one.

He had read up on the importance of hand seals from one of the academy texts and had practiced them a few times as well. Opening the scroll for Suiton: Teppoudama he went through the seals and the instructions. Once he was confident that he knew what it was all about, he put it into practice in his backyard.

Forming the hand-seals was the hard part, he had no previous experience with those, so he was understandably slow – he would have to rectify the situation. Moulding the chakra was laughably easy, he could do more complex shaping and mouldings in his sleep, especially with suiton chakra. Once the two steps were done, he intoned the name of the Jutsu "Suiton: Teppoudama!"and spat out a ball of water which smashed violently against a tree. He had done it! His first proper elemental ninjutsu!

'Not bad at all. But most of those hand-seals were used to mold the chakra in me and the last seal held the shape in place. I don't need the seals to shape my chakra for something so simple – does that mean I can use just one seal to shoot out as many water bullets as I like?!'. He had been shooting his web jutsu, which was similar to Teppoudama, without the use of seals after all.

Deciding to test his theory immediately, he moulded his chakra and using the last seal in the sequence, he could feel his chakra being held in place – his chakra retained the shape he had moulded it into without requiring him to focus all his attention on it. Once his chakra was shaped and the seal formed, he shot out a teppoudama, then another and another and another until he ran out of breath.

Falling onto his back and staring up at the blue skies with a smile, his thoughts were all about how handy his water manipulation skill was. He would be unstoppable once he mastered manipulation for the remaining elements!

Experimenting with Suiton: Suijinheki yielded similar results. The seven-seal string was reduced to only two for him. It took him a couple of tries but he got it remarkably quickly all the same. He realised that he would need practice to be able to execute them quickly and imbue even more power into the techniques.

He had spent close to three hours on the Suiton jutsus by that point. Deciding it was time to start with the Futon jutsu, he unfurled and studied the scroll. Once he was ready, he went through the seals and with a shout of "Futon: Daitoppa", he watched as a moderately powerful gust of wind issued from his mouth kicking up dirt and pebbles in its path. While he knew that the jutsu was not anywhere near its actual potential, his primary objective had been realised. He knew what wind chakra felt like!

Keeping in mind the feel of the wind chakra, he sank into his meditative state. After a while of meditation, he could feel wind chakra on his own. Applying his first lessons in water manipulation to wind, he attempted to change the flow of air around him. After spending some time on that, he started on what Asuma had shown him. He had a decent feel for the wind, he now tried rubbing it against itself to create a blade. He knew he was doing the right thing but the shape refused to hold, the wind liked to flow – go figure.

Unwilling to give up, he practiced late into the evening. It was just before dinner, that he managed to get the shape to hold. Picking up a leaf, he tried cutting it with the shape he had formed. He could see the shape exuding pressure onto the leaf but not cutting it. 'Guess the blade needs to be sharper, then. It's good progress for day one. Let's get some ramen, I am beat!' and with that thought Naruto ended his practice for the day and went off to Ichiraku's for a well-earned bowl of ramen … or ten.

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Seated in the class on his third day, Naruto had decided to skip the second half if nothing interesting happened. None of the instructors, save for Iruka, seemed to like him anyway – big surprise, that. Iruka entered the class shortly after, with an announcement that had him sitting up with interest.

"As you all know, the graduation exam is six months away. There are some basic skills that each genin must possess. To that end, you will be tested in taijutsu, bukijutsu – mainly basics of shurikenjutsu - and ninjutsu. For the ninjutsu portion, you will have to display that you are capable of at least the following three: Henge, Kawarimi and the Bunshin. Today we will start with the Bunshin." Iruka announced.

Iruka had Naruto's attention at the mention of Ninjutsu. As Naruto sat up, Iruka explained the mechanics behind the Bunshin and demonstrated it for the benefit of the class. Then it was their turn to attempt it.

He watched a few of the others attempting the Jutsu. Most of the students could not get anything to happen. Turning his attention to the clan kids, he saw a horrifying sight. There was not just one superiorly smirking Uchiha - now to his utter horror, there were _two_ of them. Turning from the hideous sight, he was surprised to see the pink loud mouth had managed a weak looking clone as well. The Nara was fast asleep, bless his soul and the Akimichi looked like he wished there was a cloning jutsu for snacks. The rest of the clan kids had managed a bunshin of some sort or another.

Deciding that he had watched enough, he decided to give it a try. He visualised the desired result, formed his chakra as Iruka instructed and pushed. The moment he called out the name of the Jutsu, he knew that something was very, very wrong. It felt like he was trying to push an entire lake through a garden hose – all at once. Sure enough, his clone took shape in front of him for a moment and disappeared in a huge poof of smoke that covered the entire class. The entire class turned to him in shock once the smoke cleared.

"Maybe a little less chakra next time, Naruto?" a slightly shaken Iruka asked mildly.

"I will try to keep that in mind." Naruto said with a sheepish grin.

Ignoring the infuriating smirk the Uchiha was directing towards him and the murderous impulses that arose in him as a result, Naruto decided to sit and relax for the rest of the day. He decided that he would have to explore the bunshin in the safety of his own home. Once he found out that the second half of the academy day would be all about ethics, he made up his mind to cut class after break.

Unknown to Naruto, a certain pinkette and her equally loud-mouthed blonde-haired rival for Sasuke-kun's affections, were overjoyed by Naruto's bunshin mishap. 'Cha! I knew it! He is nothing compared to Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun's the best! I can't believe I ever doubted him! I have gotta ask him out!' Sakura and Ino both mirrored each other's thoughts perfectly. Such was the power of the cult of Uchiha.

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After getting home, Naruto spent a couple of hours on the bunshin jutsu, only to have it explode in his face every single time. Opting to tackle it later, Naruto got back to his Wind element training. After hours of attempts, he managed to get a jagged cut on the leaf. Finally, his blade was sharp enough - even if it was a bit erratic. He spent the rest of the evening making and storing webs for sale.

The next couple of days at the academy were a complete waste of his time. He had hoped that Iruka would teach them the remaining two jutsus he had mentioned. He found out that the Henge had already been covered in the last academic year and the Kawarimi earlier in the year. He would have to speak to Iruka about instruction at some other time.

Deciding that sooner was better than later, he cornered Iruka after class, three days after the great bunshin incident, as students had taken to calling it.

"Ah, Naruto. How are you finding your classes?" Iruka asked him. Inside, he was feeling guilty that he had not spoken to the newcomer sooner.

"Informative, I guess." Naruto replied with a shrug.

"What can I do for you?" Iruka asked him in interest.

"The Kawarimi and the Henge were covered before I got here. Could you help me with that?" Naruto queried.

"I can't believe I forgot! Forgive me, Naruto! And of course, I will be glad to help." Iruka replied while rapidly reddening for having forgotten all about it.

"How is your Bunshin? Did you manage to get it?" Iruka asked Naruto.

"Nope I am still overpowering it. Everything else is correct from what I can tell."

"You will get it with practice. I think we should work on the other two after school from tomorrow. How does that sound?" Iruka asked.

Agreeing to the idea, Naruto took leave of Iruka and headed towards the Higurashi store.

"I have got the stuff." Naruto said without preamble to Kinta once he entered the store.

"Kid, I love you but, at this rate we will flood the market and reduce the value of the goods. I don't think you should _find_ anymore for a couple of months. Here is your cut for this shipment, however." Kinta replied while tossing a bag with 65,000 ryo after checking the haul.

Naruto understood where Kinta was coming from but it still was a downer. At least with the money he already had and the current addition, he was set for a few months easily.

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A couple of days later Naruto had gotten the hang of the Henge and was well on the way to mastering Kawarimi, thanks to Iruka's instruction. Naruto suspected Yuki's chakra's influence behind his proficiency with the Henge. Yuki was a master of transformation after all. Iruka was surprised at Naruto's progress. He had rarely, if ever, seen a faster learner. Although he would be happier if Naruto paid some attention to the theory subjects – and didn't cut class at whim.

In other news, Naruto had managed to split the leaf in two like Asuma had shown him. It had taken him less than ten days since Asuma's demonstration. He couldn't wait to rub it in the man's face. Deciding that there was no reason to not do it immediately, he set out to find Asuma. The Hokage was his best bet for finding out Asuma's whereabouts. So, that is who Naruto set out to meet.

Arriving at the Hokage tower, he made his way up to the old man's office as usual. The reception he got was very different from the previous times he had been there. The assistant looked up at him with disgust and a small amount of fear on her face. 'Hurray! She figured it out!'

"What do _you_ want?" she asked with a sneer on her face.

"For you to do your job and announce my arrival like a good doorman … or a door-girl, in your case." Naruto snarked, not feeling any need to be polite.

"The Hokage is busy and has no time for the likes of _you_." She sneered even harder.

"Yeah, right" Naruto ignored her and walked past the assistant who was shocked at his audacity.

"Hey! You! Stop!" the assistant shouted after Naruto and made to follow, but, he had already opened the door unceremoniously, to reveal a surprised looking Hokage staring at the both of them.

"Naruto-kun! What brings you around today? Is everything all right?" the Hokage addressed the last part to both Naruto and Mika, the assistant.

"Hokage-sama I -" Mika began, only to be cut off by Naruto.

"I am not interrupting anything, am I. You have some time for the 'likes of me' right?" Naruto asked in a taunting voice.

The Hokage caught on immediately and turned the full force of his glare on Mika, the soon-to-be-ex assistant. "I most definitely have time for you Naruto-kun. I will be having a discussion with chunin Mika about who I make time for, shortly" the Hokage invited Naruto and threatened the now-scared-shitless chunin simultaneously.

"I am so sorry about that Naruto-kun. I expected better of them." The Hokage said to Naruto sadly, once the door had closed behind him.

"Don't worry, I have written off most of them already. They can say whatever and act however they like. As long as they don't harm me or mine, I don't care." Naruto replied casually.

The Hokage wasn't happy that Naruto had a low opinion of the villagers, but could he really blame him?

"You look like a proper shinobi now. I could barely recognise you at first glance." The Hokage said diverting the conversation to safer topics.

"Yea I like the look too." Naruto agreed.

"How goes your training? Did that lazy son of mine meet you?" the old man asked.

"Yeah he did. Asuma-san met me about nine days ago and showed me the leaf splitting exercise and vanished." Naruto began

"He WHAT!" the Hokage cut in "I ask him to do one thing and he slacks off. How is showing the exercise once enough? Did he even _try_ to teach you anything?"

"Like I was saying, Jiji. Asuma-san showed me the exercise and I learned it. He had challenged me that I wouldn't get it in months. I want you to tell me where he is so that I can go and rub his face in my greatness" Naruto explained with a laugh

The Hokage was flabbergasted "You mean to tell me that you learned the leaf splitting exercise in less than ten days from one demonstration by my lazy son? – which, I am sure he half-assed."

"Yea pretty much." Naruto agreed with a shrug.

"I will let him know." The Hokage said weakly. "And the next time I will make sure he stays and trains you" he added, regaining some energy in his voice.

"How do you find the academy?" the old man asked, eager for his answer.

"Frankly? Boring." Naruto replied simply.

"What? Why? Aren't you making friends? Learning new things?" the Hokage asked in a slightly petulant tone.

"The civilian kids run in the opposite direction when they see me," Naruto began and the Hokage grimaced at that. "However, I have gotten to know Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Shino Aburame pretty well. Hinata Hyuuga seems nice but is too shy to hold any conversation at all."

Just as the Hokage was about to continue, Naruto went on with his recollections "It's just that bloody arrogant Uchiha that I really dislike."

The Hokage could only sigh at that. Ever since Naruto had found out that it was an Uchiha that was behind his parents' death, he had developed a strong dislike for anything Uchiha. His dislike was further compounded when he learnt of the Sharingan's abilities and had wasted no time in declaring the clan to be a collection of 'Jutsu-thieving-pink-eyed-shits'. Tsunade would be so proud of Naruto, if she ever got to meet him. He even had the Uchiha-antipathy that all Senju possessed.

"Naruto-kun, I must advise against writing off people like that. Sasuke-kun is not his clansman. Give him a chance. You might end up in the same team." The Hokage reasoned with Naruto.

"WHAT! Jiji, I promise you right now, if you put me in the same team as that arrogant bastard, I will kidnap him and feed him to Yuki and you will never hear from me again." Naruto declared heatedly.

"Don't be absurd Naruto-kun. Give him a chance." The old man chuckled nervously at Naruto's joke … He was joking right? Right? … Now that he thought about it, a team with both Naruto and Sasuke in it would be unbalanced … and a recipe for disaster. Kakashi would be so disappointed, but he would have to get over it.

"What of your classes?" the Hokage asked diverting his attention to safer topics.

"Of the three genin jutsus I have got the Kawarimi and the Henge down. But something is seriously wrong with the Bunshin. It feels like no matter what I do, I always over power it." Naruto explained.

The Hokage had an inkling of what could be causing that problem but decided to check nonetheless. "Show me the Bunshin, please."

Naruto shrugged and attempted the requested jutsu. The room was immediately enveloped in white smoke from an exploding bunshin. Using a small wind jutsu to vent the room, the Hokage turned towards Naruto.

"I suppose I see what the problem is. Owing to your Uzumaki heritage and the Kyuubi in you, your chakra reserves are too large. No matter how much you refine your control, you won't be able to reach the levels necessary for delicate work like genjutsu, iryojutsu or techniques which require small amounts of chakra like the bunshin."

"What do I do then? I need a bunshin." Naruto half-pleaded.

"Well, there are different types of bunshin, Naruto-kun." The Hokage began and Naruto sat up in interest.

"I will teach you a bunshin jutsu but it is classified as a kinjutsu because of how dangerous it is, on account of being so very chakra intensive. I suspect it won't be a problem for you but still, be careful with it." Naruto was elated at the prospect and just furiously nodded.

The Hokage got up and went into a hidden room in the wall behind him, which he opened with a string of handsigns too fast for Naruto to see and a blood offering.

Returning a few moments later with a huge scroll, he addressed Naruto "This is the scroll of seals and contains many forbidden and secret techniques which are for the Hokage's eyes only. I hope you recognise the trust I am showing in you and that you do not make me regret it, Naruto-kun." the Hokage spoke, truly serious for the first time in the evening.

Naruto nodded back solemnly as the Hokage unfurled the scroll. "Here we go … the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" the Hokage pointed at the scroll.

Naruto studied the scroll with the Hokage watching him like a hawk. The instructions seemed easy enough, it just needed a lot of chakra – not a problem for him. He could see how it would be a problem for those without at least High Chunin reserves. Once he memorised it, he was about to let the Hokage know when his eyes caught the words "Bunshin Daibakuha" peeking out from the very edge of the portion made visible to him. 'Exploding Clones?! Holy shit! That's a thing?! Sign me up!'

"Done. Jiji, what is this about exploding clones?" Naruto asked in a barely restrained voice.

Sighing mightily, the Hokage rolled up the scroll wordlessly and returned it to the compartment before securely locking it. "I knew it! The allure of the forbidden is too great for young minds!" the Hokage said after retaking his seat.

"Oh come on Jiji, don't be melodramatic. Is it something that can be used with my shadow clones?" Naruto asked again, pretty sure of the answer.

The Hokage knew that Naruto knew and he also knew that dissuading Naruto would be a fool's errand. So, he decided to go for a compromise. "Naruto-kun I just told you of the dangers of the Kage Bunshin, the Bunshin Daibakuha takes that danger and magnifies it by a factor of ten. I am sorry but I won't teach you that until you have mastered and I mean _mastered_ the Kage Bunshin and have graduated at the very least." The Hokage spoke in a stern tone.

"Sheesh! Okay! No need to worry! I will come back for it once I am older, then." Naruto placated him, while mentally swearing to get the secret out of the old man, one way or another.

"The sword is new." The Hokage commented.

"Yeah, I figured that until I got proper training in the Kusarigama, I could learn some kenjutsu." Naruto said with a small shrug.

"Good, good and I have just the thing to help you." The Hokage said with a smile as he pulled out a scroll. "Inside it, you will find your mother's books on the Uzushio-style kenjutsu, her favourite."

When Naruto looked up in pleased surprise at him, the old man clarified "I remember promising you instruction in fuinjutsu and access to what little of your father's things are left, once you graduated. It was in the course of recovering whatever I could find, that I stumbled upon this scroll. I had planned to summon you in a couple of days anyway, to give it to you."

"Thank you, Jiji." Naruto said with genuine emotion at the gift.

"Don't mention it and I think it's best you head back now. It's getting late." The Hokage said kindly.

Thanking the old man once again, Naruto left for his place. That night he slept with the scroll clutched tightly in his arms and a smile on his face.

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Now that he had the tools necessary to graduate, Naruto was seriously considering dropping the academy for the majority of the remaining five months he had.

Deciding to take things one step at a time he focused on the shadow clones first. It was similar in some respects to the standard bunshin but required obscene amounts of chakra. He understood the process thoroughly, all he had to do was execute it. Not wanting to take chances, he pumped a goodish amount of chakra through his system and called out the jutsu "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" and the area was enveloped in white smoke.

Once the smoke cleared, assisted by a weak 'Futon: Daitoppa' from Naruto, he was overjoyed to find ten identical copies of himself looking all around themselves in interest.

"Hey! You are me!" said Clone 1.

"Quick! Tell me, what number am I thinking of?!" came from Clone 2.

"Two! Always two!" declared Clone 3.

"Why, two?" inquired Clone 4.

"Because of boobs!" exclaimed Clone 3 again.

"Whose?" chortled Clone 5.

"Yuki and Ayame!" declared Clone 3.

At that, Naruto and the rest of the clones stared at Clone 3 with mouths agape. 'Great, that clone is a pervert'. The clones were all based on his memories and personality and even had a degree of free will. This much he had gathered from the scroll. So, those were his own thoughts out of his own mouth, right?

Well, Yuki's boobs _were_ the first he ever saw and both Yuki and Ayame were beautiful and he wouldn't mind if he could … shaking himself out of those thoughts with a blush, he flung a kunai at the perverted clone. The clone dispersed with a pop and a betrayed look on his face. It was then that Naruto felt the strangest thing ever. Just after the clone disappeared, he could suddenly remember looking at _himself_ from a different angle and a kunai being flung at him _by_ _him._ It took him a few moments of intense thinking to realise that he had just received the clone's memory and, the world of possibilities it opened up to him.

Offering up a prayer to whatever kami was listening, he sent a clone to grab an academy book he had never opened before. After the clone had read a page or so, Naruto dispersed it and was elated to find the page in his own memories. Continuing with the experiments, he asked his remaining clones to do jutsus and chakra control exercises. Once they dispersed Naruto _remembered_ doing everything his clones did.

The discovery caused Naruto to break out in a truly evil laugh. The world was _so fucked._

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As the months went by and the graduation exam drew closer, Naruto and his clone army, which at any given moment could range between five to seven hundred, made years' worth of progress in their training. His wind element control was fast approaching his water element levels. He had even devised a bunch of new wind control exercises on his own. For example, he had one exercise that involved manipulating the flow of the wind to keep individual leaves floating in front of him at different levels – at the same time. He had progressed form leaf splitting to rock-cutting. Although he couldn't cut all the way through yet, he could manage pretty deep and precise gouges. Various deformed stones and rocks, all around the village, were mute victims of his crimes against rock-kind.

Two months from the exam he learned all eight jutsus he borrowed from Shibi. The wind and water jutsus' effects were far more powerful than what the scroll described, probably because of his affinity. He could now perform the Suiton and Futon jutsus he knew, almost instantly. Just one sign to hold the chakra in place and he was good to go. The jutsus of the other two elements were working as advertised and he could cast them with speeds approaching that of a jonin. He had also begun basic training exercises for Fire and Lightning manipulation.

He had wasted no time learning kenjutsu from his mother's books. With the help of his clones he was part-way through level 2 of 5 of the Uzushio Kenjutsu style, a month from the exam day.

Asuma had been forced to look in on Naruto's progress from time to time. At first, he was shocked at Naruto's progress and then happy that he didn't have to teach Naruto anything and could just go to sleep. That happiness didn't last for long when Naruto demanded that since he was there anyway, he might as well help him with taijutsu and kenjutsu. So, with great reluctance and a heavy heart, Asuma would spar with Naruto twice a week. That reluctance was tempered a bit when he saw how good Naruto was at picking up stuff and didn't need telling more than twice at most. He could only pray that he got assigned to Naruto's team as the Jonin sensei, Naruto would run the team for him!

The only regret Naruto had was, the shadow clones weren't useful for physical training. They were effective for muscle memory training but, true physical growth could occur only in the true physical body. Following Asuma's advice, he had started physical exercises and training – without boosting himself with chakra. He was shocked to find that his base speed and strength, without channelling chakra through his body, were both mid chunin and low chunin respectively as opposed to the Mid jonin and High Chunin levels he was used to. Training his base level attributes would take a long time but, he had his nigh infinite stamina and the regenerative abilities of the Kyuubi on his side.

Speaking of the Kyuubi, Naruto had tried making contact with him but the rare times the Kyuubi responded, it was to snarl and hurl abuses at him before going silent again. Still, Naruto wouldn't give up. After much thought, he realised that the Kyuubi was just as much a victim as he was of the masked bastard's machinations. He could only hope that the fox would come to see that in time and work with him again.

Naruto had made only one more sale to Kinta during the period and was quite flush. He had also found out from the Hokage about the five years' worth of allowance that he hadn't received and wasted no time in adding it to his hoard. He was rich!

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On the day before the graduation exam, Naruto decided that ramen for good luck was just the thing.

Making his way over to the Ichiraku ramen stand, he entered to find Ayame ready to greet the next customer – him.

"Ayame-chan you are looking as lovely as ever." Naruto wasted no time in trying to get Ayame to react.

"And you are just as bratty as ever." Ayame replied with a small smirk. She had gotten used to Naruto's antics. Besides she found Naruto and his flirting to be just too cute. If only he was closer to her age and not a precocious pre-teen.

"Well, you won't be saying that after tomorrow." Naruto said after placing an order for his usual.

"Oh, and why is that?" Ayame asked

"Well tomorrow is the graduation exam. After I become a ninja, I am going to take you on _all sorts_ of adventures like I promised" Naruto tried to say it in a suggestive voice.

Ayame was both laughing and blushing at Naruto's statement. "Oho? I am sure you will."

"You betcha" Naruto grinned at her, having finished his fifth bowl.

Deciding that was enough, Naruto paid for his meal thanked Ayame and Teuchi and turned to leave.

Just as he was about to exit the stand, Ayame called out to him. Turning back at her voice, he froze when he felt a soft set of lips pressed against his cheek. He could see a blushing Ayame hanging over the counter to reach him.

"That was for luck, Naruto-kun." Ayame said as she pulled herself back over the counter. She had no idea why she did what she did. However, Naruto's reaction alone was worth it, in her mind.

A wildly blushing Naruto just stammered out his thanks to an equally red Ayame before leaving in a daze.

'With that kind of 'good-luck' the academy had better watch out tomorrow' was Naruto's last thought before he drifted off to sleep - a smile on his face and a ramen bearing goddess in his dreams.


	18. Welcome to your life

The atmosphere in the academy was thick with anticipation and excitement. The instructors were running around making final checks on the equipment, obstacle courses and the like. The genin hopefuls on the other hand, were all huddled in their own little circles furiously discussing what awaited them in the exams.

The cult of Uchiha was off to one side, singing praises to their raven-haired idol. Said idol was busy ignoring the gaggle of fangirls and brooding about how becoming genin would be the first step towards his vengeance against a certain someone.

Shikamaru and Choji, the most relaxed of the bunch were at the far corner of the waiting room, napping and snacking, respectively. Shino was sitting close to them, accompanied by Kiba and Hinata. The other civilian kids were spread out around the room in various states of nervousness.

It was to this scene that a smiling Naruto arrived. He quickly made his way over to Shino and the rest.

"Hey there people, you ready to do this or what!" Naruto greeted the assembled clan heirs.

Hinata simply squeaked and nodded at him before turning away, a blushing mess. Shikamaru groaned and half sat up "Keep it down you troublesome blonde. It's bad enough that we have to go through this and my mother will kill me if I don't pass. Don't go adding your shouting to the mix." he drawled.

Choji and Shino just responded with "Hey there Naruto" and a solemn "Naruto-san" respectively. Growling under his breath at Shino's refusal to drop the honorific, he turned his attention to Kiba, who just nodded stiffly at him and looked away.

His relation with Kiba was still on the frosty side. It was obvious to Naruto that Kiba could recognise that he was different, even if Kiba couldn't place his finger on the 'why'. Kiba also seemed resentful of the fact that Hinata reacted to him the way she did. Shrugging at Kiba's reaction, Naruto turned away … he couldn't care less about Kiba's opinion of him.

All of the assembled candidates spent some more time waiting and chatting amongst themselves. Finally, Iruka stepped out from the doors of the first hall and declared the start of the exams.

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The first exam was the written one on the various theory subjects – ethics, history, tactics and the like. Even with his shadow clones, Naruto had not bothered with those subjects at all. He left the entire ethics paper blank, save for to write some trite sounding shit about 'the will of fire' in a few questions. The rest of the written exam went to Naruto's satisfaction – he was certain that he would pass at the very least … maybe?

The second exam tested the physical fitness and conditioning of the candidates. The candidates had to go through a difficult obstacle course, while dodging blunted kunais and shurikens thrown at them randomly by Iruka and the other instructors.

Most of the year dreaded this particular portion of the exam and with good reason too, because, a huge chunk of the batch was weeded out at this stage. The clan kids all managed to beat the course. Sasuke in particular gave a stellar performance. Once he was done, Sasuke didn't even bother to wait for the proctor's final remarks and simply walked off to sit by himself and brood. The fangirls were all squealing at how cool their precious Sasuke-kun was.

Finally, it was Naruto's turn. Shaking his head at Sasuke's antics, he took his position at the starting line. The moment he was given the signal, he let loose with a burst of speed far greater than anything he had shown at academy before. He always held back during the few classes that he actually participated in, but now? Now he had no reason to hold back. It did not mean that he was giving it his all, but he wasn't supressing himself to a ridiculous degree either. His speed was so great, that it took the instructors by surprise. He was already half way through the course before the instructors recovered and started chucking various projectiles at him. Naruto could tell that he was getting a lot more projectiles coming his way than the others. Cursing the bigoted idiots in his mind, Naruto increased his speed a bit more and with a combination of his flexibility, skill and awareness, made it to the finish line without a single projectile coming anywhere close to hitting him.

Each and every one of the assembled, instructor and candidate alike, was staring at him in shock. Naruto had broken the Academy record without a drop of sweat on his forehead. With that many witnesses, the instructors were forced to give him a perfect score – most of them muttering about the unnaturalness of the demon. Sasuke couldn't believe that Naruto had bested him, but the proof was there for him to see. Snarling in irritation, he got up and stalked off without a word to anyone. Naruto watched him storm off with not a little satisfaction. Kami, he hated that guy.

After a break it was time for the third exam - bukijutsu. Naruto hadn't paid any particular attention to shurikenjutsu during his training. After he had managed to get Asuma to teach him the 'Kunai Kage Bunshin', he only did some cursory practice with proper shurikenjutsu figuring quantity beat quality in this case. Still, he was certain that his skill would be more than enough to pass. The others, for the most part, got a score of 7-8. Sasuke, however, managed to get a perfect score in both Kunai and Shuriken throwing. 'The bastard is arrogant but he has skill' Naruto grudgingly conceded in his mind. Once again Naruto was the last to be tested. He managed to get scores of 8 and 9 in shuriken and Kunai throwing respectively.

The fourth exam of the day was ninjutsu. For this, each candidate was taken into a room and tested one at a time. The faces of the ones exiting the hall were enough to give the ones waiting outside an idea of how the exam was going. Naruto simply closed his eyes and laid back in a relaxed pose to await his turn. Sure enough, he was the last to be tested again. Entering the room, he found Iruka, Mizuki and an instructor he didn't recognise waiting for him.

First up was the bunshin. On receiving the signal to begin, Naruto silently created a couple of Kage Bunshins.

"It's good to see you finally succeeded Naruto. Those clones look great." Iruka nodded in approval. The thought that the bunshins could be anything other than the standard ones not even crossing his mind. Naruto didn't bother to correct him because he wasn't entirely sure that the other instructors wouldn't use the excuse that the 'Kage Bunshin' was a kinjutsu to disqualify him.

"It's time for the Kawarimi." Mizuki spoke in a harsh tone before flinging a blunt kunai without giving Naruto much time to prepare. Now, normally a cheap tactic like that would have worked against any kid … any not named Naruto, that is. His enhanced speed and reflexes, honed by his years with Yuki and later his training with Asuma and his own clones, barely registered the kunai as a threat. He lazily performed the Kawarimi and switched places with a log.

Where the log had come from, he had no idea. It had bothered him initially when he first learnt the jutsu and he asked everyone he could about it. Asuma just shrugged and went to sleep. The Hokage got an unholy light in his eye at the question and told him not to question the log and, to shut his blasphemous mouth. Naruto had simply given up and accepted it – now, he too was at the mercy of the log. Walking back to the centre of the room he found an irate looking Iruka glaring at an unapologetic Mizuki. Naruto simply smirked at Mizuki, which caused him to silently snarl at Naruto.

"Please demonstrate the Henge" spoke the unnamed instructor. Naruto nodded and was about to Henge into Iruka, when a thought crossed his mind. Smiling mischievously, he pictured what he wished to change into and executed his jutsu. A poof of smoke later, a figure stood in the middle of the room that had all three instructors struggling to stay awake because of the sudden diversion of blood-flow from the brain to a certain body part that was very eagerly waking up in all three. "Will this do?" the perfect copy of Yuki spoke in a seductive whisper that saw both Mizuki and the unnamed instructor faint with gigantic nosebleeds. Iruka had an equally bloody nose but somehow managed to stay awake long enough to give perfect marks to Naruto before wordlessly dropping to the ground.

The last exam, taijutsu was delayed because the three main instructors were lying in a dead faint in the Ninjutsu testing hall, and it took them a while to come to their senses and get on with the program. The taijutsu exam format was simple. The candidates were split into two groups and taken into different halls. Then, each of the candidates in the group would have to hold their own against an instructor. The instructor would then pass judgement on whether the candidate was up to the mark or not. Iruka immediately paired off with Naruto, fearing that the other instructors would use the guise of the exam to hurt him and if they could get away with it, fail him.

Iruka was flabbergasted at Naruto's speed, skill and flexibility. He had been sparring with Naruto for a few minutes by now and even with his best moves couldn't even touch the boy in front of him. 'How can this be? He doesn't seem fazed at all! I can't get anywhere near him and he already has scored two blows without even trying!' Iruka was overjoyed that such a fine candidate would be joining the forces and a bit sad at how little he had to do with Naruto's development. Smiling with pride, Iruka called a stop to the spar and congratulated Naruto on a perfect score once again. Naruto thanked him and moved off to the side to wait for the exam to end.

After an hour or so, the taijutsu exam ended and the various proctors huddled together to discuss the scores. The discussion went on for a while, at the conclusion of which, Iruka walked to the assembled candidates with an announcement. "There is a tie in the top scores for the taijutsu exam. Seeing how we can't have joint first place holders; the two candidates will have to spar for the top spot. The winner will be awarded one extra mark to break the tie. Fighters to the ring!"

The entire gathering broke out into excited whispers. "Sasuke Uchiha" - Sasuke stood up with a scowl and the whispering grew even louder at that. "Go Sasuke-kun!" came the shouts from various fangirls, led by Ino and Sakura. "- and Naruto Uzumaki." The buzzing, if anything, grew even louder.

Now that he thought about it, Shikamaru couldn't recall seeing Naruto fight even once in the entire time that he had spent at the academy. This would be interesting. Hinata for her part, silently cheered for Naruto. Choji and Shino gave encouraging nods. Naruto waved at his friends and strolled up to the ring.

'He will be no match for Sasuke-kun! I hope he gets thrashed!' Sakura thought viciously as she watched Naruto walk up to the ring without a care in the world. Ino, on the other hand, was slightly worried about her idol. She had seen how fast Naruto moved during the second exam; she had also witnessed his spar against Iruka-sensei. 'Are genin even supposed to move like that?! I couldn't even see him at times! Please be careful Sasuke-kun! I have faith in you!' she mentally cheered.

Sasuke was elated at the chance. He had overheard some students discussing how awesome Naruto's performance at the second exam was, and how his spar with Iruka was amazing. 'Amazing? Che! I will show them amazing! Finally! I get to put that clan-less upstart where he belongs!' he thought excitedly as he watched Naruto enter the ring like he owned the place.

Naruto could see the excited glint in Sasuke's eyes and almost snorted at him. 'He really has no idea what he is up against, huh?' Not giving it any thought, he got into a loose stance to wait for the signal to begin.

"Surrender now and save yourself some embarrassment. A clan-less loser stands no chance against an Uchiha elite" Sasuke spoke before the match begun. Naruto was both amused and confused at that 'Clan-less? All leaf shinobi literally have my clan's crest on their hitai-ate. How does he not know this? And for that matter I don't think most of them have made the connection. Hello? I am an Uzumaki and you have my clan crest on your forehead – will that work I wonder?' Naruto joked in his own mind. Naruto's non-response to his taunting served to annoy Sasuke even more. Just as he was about to say something else, the signal to begin was given by Iruka.

Sasuke wasted no time and got into the interceptor fist style. Deciding to knock out Naruto from the get go, Sasuke rushed him immediately. Naruto saw Sasuke's attack coming a mile off and waited till the last moment to bend backwards and let the Uchiha's punch pass him safely by. Standing back up, he simply smirked at Sasuke causing him to attack again in fury. Naruto kept dodging and occasionally scoring a few light hits. While they were painful, they were not enough to make Sasuke give up – but then again, that was not the point. Naruto was enjoying taunting the Uchiha with light hits and showed no signs of stopping. Sasuke, on the other hand was getting angrier and sloppier as the fight progressed. 'How does he move like that? Stay. Still. Damn you.' Those were Sasuke's last thoughts before a kick to the chin sent him flying back in an arc towards the edge of the ring.

In the meantime, most of the spectators were watching wide eyed at the skill the two boys on the stage were displaying. While both were amazing to watch - Naruto dominating the Uchiha prodigy so completely, was a shock to the students as well as the instructors. They let out a collective gasp as they watched Naruto slip under Sasuke's guard and kick him in the chin hard enough to send him flying back.

Sasuke was feeling a mixture of disbelief, anger and humiliation at being toyed with. He had underestimated the blonde and was paying the price. While a part of his mind could recognise that, it was too small compared to the part that was screaming bloody vengeance at the commoner who dared touch him. Just as he was reaching the high point of the arc his body was in, his rage won out and his hands automatically started going through hand-seals for 'Katon: Gokakyu'. Flipping himself around mid-air, in a display of acrobatics that had the crowd cheering for him, he completed the seal string and unleashed a fireball at Naruto.

Iruka and the other instructors were flabbergasted at a not-yet genin performing the 'Gokakyu' and enraged that the boy would use such deadly force in a spar – against a comrade no less. Although, truth be told, it was only Iruka and a select few who were angry. The rest of them were just hoping that the fireball found it's mark and finished the demon brat.

Naruto watched as Sasuke's arms started moving mid-air and he knew that a jutsu was coming his way – a fire type and a 'Gokakyu' at that, if what he knew of the Uchiha clan was correct. He was impressed with both Sasuke's skill and his willingness to go that far. Figuring there was no reason to not respond in kind, he quickly moulded his chakra, snapped up a tiger seal and waited for the fireball to come his way. The moment the fireball was launched from Sasuke's mouth, he sent two 'Suiton: Teppoudama' – powered down, of course – back at him. Naruto was delighted to see Sasuke's shocked face before the steam from his first water bullet cancelling out the fireball obscured his vision. The second water bullet was sent at a slightly lowered angle to account for Sasuke's descent and sure enough, it connected and carried him out of the ring and above the heads of the gathered instructors, before slamming him into the ground and causing him to pass out from the impact.

The crowd was shocked silent. The Uchiha prodigy and Konoha's blue eyed boy had been systematically decimated and blown out of the water by its most infamous resident. The instructors couldn't believe it, the cultists couldn't comprehend it and the rest, for the most part, were a mix of the two. Iruka was the first to recover from his stupor and came forward. "This was supposed to be a taijutsu-only match. The fact that Sasuke used ninjutsu and a deadly one at that, was enough grounds for disqualification. That he was knocked out before our intervention was necessary, was fortunate. We have our winner – Naruto Uzumaki!"

"BUT SENSEI! NARUTO-BAKA USED NINJUTSU TOO! DISQUALIFY HIM AS WELL!" came the ear shattering screech from Sakura. Naruto was about to respond with a caustic retort when Iruka gently gripped his shoulder and shook his head silently. "Sakura! You should be ashamed of yourself! You clearly saw Sasuke using ninjutsu first, a deadly one at that and for a spar, of all things! If I had my way, I would disqualify him from the entire exam and not just the tie breaker. Sit down!" Iruka spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.

Naruto was of half a mind to go and smack the pink haired banshee himself – with the sharp edge of his chokuto … at neck level. Iruka's tongue lashing would have to do. Looking around he could see the disbelieving faces of the majority and impressed faces of Choji, Shikamaru and Hinata. What surprised him the most was Ino. As Naruto was observing everyone, he saw that Ino was embarrassed by Sakura's impassioned defence of their idol and she even nodded along slightly with Iruka's judgement. Maybe there was hope for her but … what did he care. Naruto made his way over to Shikamaru and the rest to wait for the final result.

After an hour of waiting, Iruka and the rest came out with the final tally of results. A freshly revived Sasuke had joined them by now. He avoided Naruto completely and stormed off to the back of the class, where he was promptly joined by his most devout fanatics. To Naruto's utter surprise, Ino chose to stay with Shikamaru and Choji – apparently, they were childhood friends. 'But even so, Ino not running to 'Sasuke-kun'; the world must be ending' Naruto thought to himself with a chuckle.

Iruka began reading out the scores of the top ten ranks - lower to higher. "- and in seventh place is … Naruto Uzumaki. Only if you had not scored in single digits in most of your theory papers ..." Iruka added the last part in a stern tone as a response to Naruto's curious look – which had Naruto grinning sheepishly with a slight blush gracing his features.

Iruka continued the score reading until he reached the end of the list. "At first place … Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka said in a tone that was both congratulatory and disappointed at the same time. Naruto wondered how he did it. Cringing at the squealing from the Uchiha fan club, Naruto turned around, fully expecting to see a smirking Uchiha but, he was surprised to see Sasuke simply nod at Iruka and turn away.

Sasuke in the meantime was lost in his own thoughts. 'What use is the top rank? I couldn't even touch him in taijutsu. Even my ninjutsu was useless against him. At this rate, I will never be strong enough to get my revenge. I have to get stronger, no matter the cost. First, I am going to end Naruto and then it will be Itachi's turn.'

"That brings us to the end of the exam. Congratulations to all of you. You are now proud shinobi of the leaf." Iruka said with a beaming smile to the freshly-minted genins. "Please report here tomorrow at 8.00 am to get your team assignments. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy." Iruka said his final words before turning around and heading back into the academy.

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"… It was amazing! I totally kicked the Uchiha's ass! You should have seen his face when I shot my jutsu at him!" Naruto excitedly recounted the day's events to Ayame, who was enthralled by his tale.

"So, why didn't you get the first spot, if everything went so well?" Ayame asked, a little angry – she suspected foul play on the instructors' part.

"Oh hehehe … about that." Naruto trailed off sheepishly.

"Naruto-kun?" Ayame asked suspiciously as she saw the guilty looking smile on Naruto's face. _Maybe_ , it was not the instructors' fault.

"I may have flunked most of the written portion?" Naruto said with a slight grimace.

"… Honestly, Naruto-kun!" Ayame didn't know what to feel about that but, Naruto had graduated anyway and that was all that mattered.

"Heh, I passed so it doesn't matter." Naruto half-suggested half-stated.

"That is the only reason I haven't stopped your ramen." Ayame said. She nearly broke down laughing at the rapid paling her words caused in Naruto. The very thought of ramen being withheld must be torture for him. She lost her internal struggle and burst out laughing anyway.

"Ayame-chan you are mean." Naruto complained and proceeded to finish his bowl like it was the last one on earth.

"It's nothing less than you deserve." Ayame retorted with a smile to the now pouting blonde.

"So, I was thinking … I graduated in the top 10 – I kinda deserve a reward, don't you think?" Naruto asked slyly.

"What? The free ramen not enough for you? What else do you want?" Ayame asked with a small laugh.

"Well, more of what you gave me last night would be just perfect!" Naruto tried to say it confidently but his massive blush ruined the effect.

His words had Ayame herself blushing furiously. "Well, I would have considered it if you had studied even a little bit and got the top spot." Ayame teased, still blushing, before adding "Sasuke got the top spot; didn't he? And I have heard tell that he is kinda cute. So, maybe I should …"

At her words, Naruto could feel something inside him stir awake, something dark and bloodthirsty, something that was telling him to find the Uchiha bastard and burn him to ashes and scatter those ashes to the four winds. She was _his_ Ayame. Why would she even say something like that? With a bit of struggle, he quietened his mind and recognised Ayame's joke for what it was – a joke.

Ayame could see that her words had hurt Naruto. At that moment, she felt like kicking herself. She had only meant to tease him a bit, she had never expected so strong a reaction. Attempting to rectify the situation, she quickly walked around the counter and took the seat next to his.

"Hey! Naruto-kun! I was just joking. Come on, don't be mad." She found herself automatically leaning forward and grabbing her favourite blonde in a hug.

Naruto stiffened at the contact; he couldn't remember ever being hugged like that in his life before – not once. After a while, he tentatively reached out and hugged her back. "Please, don't ever do that again Ayame-chan."

Ayame's heart almost broke at the vulnerability in Naruto's tone. She only now realised the different ways her words could have hurt him. The urge to kick herself intensified. The truth was, it was so easy to banter with Naruto that she often found herself forgetting that he was younger than her and that he had had a life that was much more difficult than anyone could have possibly imagined. He didn't say it but it was there in his eyes and mannerisms. That much even she could pick up. Tightening her grip on the blonde she spoke as apologetically as she could "It was incredibly stupid of me. Forgive me, please?"

"Hey, don't call yourself stupid, Ayame-chan! Of course, I forgive ya! And besides … I don't think the bastard would let even someone as pretty as you kiss him. I am sure he is gay." Naruto joked, bouncing back from his despondent mood.

"Pfft hahaha really, you are too much!" Ayame laughed even as she felt blood rush to her cheeks. They just sat there for a while before Ayame broke the silence. "Naruto-kun, you are a shinobi now and will be out doing dangerous things. Promise me, that you will take care of yourself and come back safe every time." Ayame said in a pleading tone as she still maintained her grip on Naruto.

"I promise Ayame-chan." Naruto said while hugging her back before releasing his hold. Once they were separated, Naruto added in a mock thoughtful tone "Although, I am being assigned a team tomorrow and you know how important teams are for a shinobi. I just hope I get a good one. Won't you wish me luck for that?" Naruto ended the question with a sly smirk.

Ayame could only stare at the blonde before her. It was impossible to keep him down! Deciding to take him up on his suggestion, she grabbed both of his ears and pulled him towards her before planting a soft kiss on the bridge of his nose. "Good luck for your team assignment, Naruto-kun" Ayame spoke in a soft voice. She was pleased to see that Naruto had shut up and was red to the tips of his ears. She was sure she wasn't any better off. After stammering out his thanks, Naruto quickly hugged her one last time before getting up to leave.

Naruto was on cloud nine. He was a ninja, he had had ramen and most importantly, he had another kiss from Ayame. A guy could get used to that kind of thing. Just before leaving, he had another thought. "Hey, Ayame-chan? Do you need me to wish _you_ luck for anything?" Naruto asked with an impish grin.

The shout of "SCRAM!" had him doing exactly that.

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"… I have never seen anything like it!" Iruka finished his recounting of the day's events to the Hokage and assembled Jonin senseis. The gathering was to build the current batch of genin teams that would go into circulation.

"The brat is unbeatable. I should know, I trained him. Can I have him please?!" Asuma asked the Hokage with an almost-whine. The Hokage simply ignored him, long used to his son's antics. He knew very well the reason Asuma wanted Naruto on his team – so that Asuma could leave the team's running to Naruto and sleep all day. Not. Happening.

The Hokage had already made up his mind to put Naruto and Sasuke on different teams, despite Kakashi's pleading. Iruka's account of the day only served to reaffirm his belief that he was doing the right thing. Kakashi would be a bitch and a half to deal with but, he could always pull rank if bribery failed – he had the latest _autographed_ icha icha in his desk drawer. He would be loath to part with it but his peace was more valuable. If he had to deal with the mopey cyclops' shenanigans again, he wouldn't be responsible for his actions.

"Alright then, Asuma you are in charge of team 10 – the Ino-Shika-Cho clone … and no. You may not have Naruto on your team in exchange for the Yamanaka" the Hokage spoke pointedly to his son. Asuma just grumbled and sat down with a storm cloud over his head.

"Kakashi, you are in charge of team 7 – Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and … Kiba Inuzuka" seeing Kakashi about to interrupt, he added "Naruto and Sasuke on one team will be too imbalanced and is a disaster waiting to happen. We can discuss it in detail after the meeting." Kakashi simply nodded and leaned back against the wall, seemingly uninterested. Inside, he was a raging mess. 'That's sensei's kid! I have the _right_ to train him! Why are you doing this to me Hokae-sama?'

"Kurenai, you are in charge of team 8 – Hinata Hyuuga, Shino Aburame and Naruto Uzumaki." Kurenai simply nodded at that. 'Why the hell can't the other two be like her? Such a good child' The Hokage thought while giving Asuma and Kakashi a dirty look.

"That concludes our business for the day. Go, prepare to meet your teams." The Hokage spoke and the others all left – all except Kakashi.

"Why?" came Kakashi's simple query.

"Because the team is more important. If you look beyond your personal feelings, you will see that those two shouldn't be on the same team." The Hokage replied.

"In time they could learn to work together. There is no reason to write off the possibility like that." Kakashi argued.

"I am afraid that won't be possible. Due to circumstances I can't reveal, Naruto has a pathological hatred for all things Uchiha" the Hokage said in a slightly apologetic tone.

"What have the Uchiha ever done to him?" Kakashi asked, thoroughly confused.

"Like I said, I can't tell you. I am sorry. Besides, if training the boy and getting to know him is your intention, it is best that he is not in your team" said the Hokage.

"Why not?"

"Sasuke will make it impossible for you to teach Naruto anything without him demanding to be taught the same. And before you ask, that _is_ a problem because the Uchiha is unstable. He has had a difficult life. Living alone in that empty district full of ghosts from the past has not done his mind any favours. He is too consumed with thoughts of vengeance. His mental state is as important as his training. Besides, I know Naruto. Forcing him to do something he doesn't want to do – in this case, getting along with Sasuke, will cause him to resent you. Show Naruto that you are making time for him, out of what is required as a sensei. He will respond to that and give you a chance to be the older brother figure that you want to be" the Hokage explained as best as he could. He knew where Kakashi was coming from but he also knew the disaster that lay ahead if he gave in to Kakashi's demands and put _those two_ in the same team.

"I will have to come up with a good reason for approaching him …" Kakashi began muttering aloud and the Hokage cut him off.

"You don't need a story – tell him the truth. He knows about his parents."

"WHAT?! How did he find out?" Kakashi was flabbergasted at the news.

"The fox, apparently" came the Hokage's reply. Kakashi gaped at him – the mask covered it though.

"This is troubling. Are you sure the fox hasn't affected him negatively?" Kakashi asked in a worried tone.

"I am certain. From what I have seen, _that_ won't be a concern" the Hokage said remembering the chains that had emerged from Naruto.

"I hope you are right Hokage-sama. I will watch the boy and make contact in time. By your leave, then." His last words said, Kakashi vanished in a shunshin.

'Heh! That was easier than I thought it would be … I didn't even lose my precious icha icha!'

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The next morning, Konoha's newest batch of genins congregated at the academy for the last time. Iruka could only look on with immense pride as the wonderful batch in front of him congregated for one last time as academy students. Soon, it would be time for them to be assigned their partners and his kids would be ready to set out into the world.

Naruto sat with his friends and was getting impatient – 'Gimme my team already! What's taking so long?' As if in answer to his prayers, Iruka started the team assignments shortly after. He announced the teams in an ascending order and the first six teams were random kids whose names Naruto didn't even recognise. Team 7 was where it started getting interesting.

"Team 7 – Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno –" cue an ear-splitting squeal from the pink banshee "– and Kiba Inuzuka. Your jonin sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."

"Team 8 – Hinata Hyuuga, Shino Aburame and Naruto Uzumaki. Your Jonin commander is Kurenai Yuhi."

"Team 9 is still in circulation so, Team 10 will be – Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara. You will serve under the command of Asuma Sarutobi."

"That brings us to the end of the team assignments. Once again, best of luck – go, make us all proud!" Iruka said with a smile. "Please wait here, your instructors will be along shortly." Iruka left the room after that last addition.

Ignoring the commotion coming from the direction of Team 7 – apparently, the banshee had taken offence to some comment Kiba had made about her idol – Naruto turned to his team with a grin on his face.

"I kept telling you to drop the honorifics Shino! It is exactly as I predicted; we _are_ on the same team! You can't call me 'Naruto-san' anymore, it is Naruto from now on!" Naruto spoke with an air of vindication to Shino.

"Very well … Naruto" Shino gave in without any protest – not that it would have done him any good. Pumping his fist in victory, Naruto turned to the third member of his team, who was completely red in the face. Sighing internally at Hinata's chronic shyness, especially around him, Naruto spoke in a slightly less boisterous manner "Hey there, Hinata, it will be nice working as a team; don't ya think?"

Hinata couldn't believe that she had made it to Naruto's team. 'I had hoped that I would get Naruto-kun on my team. But to actually get him! I will prove myself to him and we will be friends!' Hinata thought to herself the moment their team composition was announced. Seeing Naruto address her, she tried her best to not stutter "H-hai Naruto-kun, it w-will be nice. I am l-looking forward to it!"

Naruto was pleasantly surprised at the response. Because A) She had actually spoken a few words to him without fainting and B) She wasn't stammering nearly as bad as usual. Taking it as a good sign, Naruto spent a few more minutes talking to Shino and waiting for their Jonin Sensei to arrive. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, the doors to the class slid open and a collection of Jonins walked in. Naruto identified Asuma and waved at him with an apologetic smile – he knew how much the lazy Sarutobi wanted him on his team, instead, he was getting stuck with someone lazier than even himself, a snack guzzler and an Uchiha fangirl, although, the last part might not be true for much longer he hoped. Asuma saw Naruto's wave and returned it with a look of such sad longing that Naruto almost felt bad for him … almost. Naruto turned his attention to the breathtakingly beautiful woman next to Asuma and knew immediately who she was. Kurenai Yuhi, Konoha's foremost genjutsu mistress – now that all the Uchiha were gone. He had heard Asuma speak about her sometimes and he was certain that there was _something_ going on there. A few moments later all the other teams and their Jonin commanders left the room, leaving only teams 7,8 and 10. Asuma and Kurenai walked up to the remaining teams.

"Hey there brat! Too bad we aren't on the same team, huh?" Asuma greeted Naruto.

"Not really, I know you lazy-bones. You would have made me do all the work and slept all day. So, I think it is very good we ain't on the same team." Naruto replied with a smirk.

"No respect … I get no respect from brats these days" Asuma spoke with a shake of his head.

While this short exchange was going on, all the occupants were looking on in interest at the dynamic between the two. "Um, Naruto, how do you know our sensei?" Ino asked in a tentative voice. Naruto was taken aback. This was the first time that Ino had spoken to him. "Lazy-bones over there used to look in on my training from time to time," Naruto replied while jerking a thumb at Asuma. This small tidbit got different reactions out of everyone. 'Is that why he is so strong? Asuma-sensei must be a great instructor, huh?' was the thought going through the heads of most. Sasuke, on the other hand was outraged 'They got a clan-less loser a jonin instructor! Why was I, an Uchiha elite, not extended the same offer?!'

Kurenai decided that it was enough chit chat and addressed her team. "Alright, you two can catch up later" she pointed at Naruto and Asuma. Turning to her team "Team 8, let's meet on the rooftop." Her piece said, she promptly shunshined away.

The newly minted Team 8 stood up and made to leave. "Guess we will have to catch up later. Take care lazy-bones" Naruto said his farewell to Asuma and followed Hinata and Shino. "You too, brat … and don't piss off your sensei" came Asuma's reply. Naruto simply raised a hand in acknowledgement before slinking out of the room.

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The team looked interesting. It had a mix of taijutsu specialisation, long range support and tracking from both Hinata and Shino. Naruto on the other hand was an absolute powerhouse and a sensor to boot, if Asuma's information was correct. She would love to work with such a well-rounded team … provided they passed her test. Kurenai lay in wait for her team and a short while later, saw them emerging from the door that led to the roof. Shino was the first to appear. Like every Aburame she had ever known, Shino too seemed to be a quiet and composed individual. Hinata was next. What Kurenai saw bothered her a bit. For a clan heiress, Hinata seemed awfully shy, constantly fidgeting and standing with a posture that screamed her nervousness. She could tell, she had her work cut out for her. A part of her was unsure about the girl's eligibility to be a ninja. Their way of life was hard and fraught with danger – Hinata just did not seem the type. Kurenai made a mental note to speak to Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga about the situation.

Last but not the least, Naruto walked out of the door like he didn't have a care in the world. She knew of his tenant and like most people, she had heard nasty rumours about the boy. Her initial reaction to Naruto being assigned to her had been disappointment – that was until she heard the praises Asuma sang about the boy. It had been hard to reconcile the picture she had of him in her mind and the person Asuma held in such high regard. She decided to give him a fair chance before deciding either way. Even as she watched Naruto walk on to the roof, she could see the way he took in his surroundings like a seasoned professional. His movements were graceful, silent and efficient - even in his relaxed state. Nodding in approval at the team in front of her, she addressed them. "I am Kurenai Yuhi – your Jonin commander. Since we will be working as a team, let's get to know each other, shall we? Introduce yourself and tell me your likes and dislikes."

Seeing no one quite willing to speak up first, Kurenai took the initiative. "I will go first. I am Kurenai Yuhi and I am a newly promoted Jonin. I am known as Konoha's foremost Genjutsu specialist but, I aspire to be the greatest in the world. I like working hard, my friends and flowers. I dislike perverts and disloyal people."

Shino went next. "I am Shino Aburame. I wish to increase my skills so that I can be a capable ninja and later, a clan head. I like my kikaichu, learning new things and capable opponents. I dislike people who are shallow and cruel. I also dislike being underestimated."

Naruto decided to go next. "Yo! I am Naruto Uzumaki. I just wanna be the best ninja in the world and be able to always protect my friends and those I care for. I like training, ramen, the people who own the ramen stand and having fun. I dislike people who are narrow minded and people who can't think for themselves."

Hinata was the last. "H-hello, I am Hinata Hyuuga. I wish to g-grow strong and work with my t-team and eventually be ack-acknowledged by my father and clan. I like my family, reading and peaceful places. I dislike needless fighting and b-bullies."

Kurenai nodded at the answers she received. Shino's and Naruto's seemed normal enough. It was Hinata's answer that had her bothered. It raised multiple red flags in her mind. A clan heiress being sent to the shinobi corps to prove herself? Something was very wrong here. She resolved to look into it at the earliest.

"Good, now we have a basic idea of who we are working with. Meet me tomorrow at training ground 8 at 9.00 am. You have the remainder of the day off, rest well" Kurenai said to the entire team.

The team bid her farewell and left. Kurenai set off to find Hiashi Hyuga.

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Her discussion with Hiashi the previous night had shaken Kurenai to her core. 'How can that bastard be so heartless? Hinata is a sweet girl and to disown her for refusing to hurt her little sister? This is preposterous! I knew that clan was messed up, what with that caged bird seal and enslaving their own clansmen. But this is too much even for them!' Kurenai thought furiously, her mind a disturbed mess. Hiashi had even gone on to state that he didn't care what happened to his own daughter and, that Kurenai was welcome to take the weakling off his hands if she cared so much. _'How can he speak about his own daughter like that?!'_. Kurenai had decided then and there that, that was exactly what she would do. She would take Hinata under her wing and turn her into a splendid Kunoichi, the kind that would have that arrogant bastard Hiashi swallowing his own words. She waited for her team to arrive – she was fifteen minutes early after all.

Just a few minutes before the clock struck nine, Team 8 walked onto the training ground. Without wasting any time Kurenai addressed them the moment they were lined up in front of her.

"Congratulations on graduating the academy. However, that does not mean you are genin yet." Kurenai paused to gauge the reactions of the team. Shino just stood more alert waiting for her to elaborate. Naruto didn't say anything but she could tell that for some reason he didn't appear too concerned – only slightly intrigued. Hinata had simply looked up, even more nervously, but didn't say anything.

"As a team, we are expected to go out into the world and face life threatening situations. I need to be able to trust you with my life and I need to know that you will be able to trust each other as well. I have to be absolutely certain about you before I can commit to this team" Kurenai spoke to the three.

"I assume there's going to be another test?" Shino spoke up.

"That is correct" Kurenai nodded, pleased that the team was quick on the uptake.

"Cool, what do we gotta do?" Naruto asked nonchalantly. 'Let's see if you are still as casual after the test, Naruto' Kurenai thought to herself with a frown.

"It's simple. You have one hour. All you've got to do is … _find me"_ Kurenai melted into the air with those words.

To anybody else this would have been unsettling or impressive. To Naruto it was just … easy. He had been dealing with Yuki and her illusionary shenanigans for years. He was used to playing tag with a being that could melt into the fabric of the world. Kurenai for all her skill, simply didn't measure up. Naruto immediately cast his senses out and jolted his own chakra network with a little bit of biju chakra. The illusion lifted and he could sense Kurenai hiding in the bushes, barely two hundred feet from their position.

Smiling to himself he created a bunch of shadow clones and had them take up guard position around his team, just in case their sensei decided to change the game. He sent one clone into the treeline a hundred feet to the right of Kurenai's position and switched places with it via Kawarimi.

Hinata had activated her Byakugan the moment Kurenai vanished. Remembering her lessons from the academy about genjutsu, she tried releasing the illusion, but it was too strong for her. Shino on the other hand, had sent his kikaichu in a wide sweeping net all around him. Unlike him, his kikaichu were immune to genjutsu. While the two were doing all this, they noticed Naruto creating a handful of clones.

Only when his beetles struck one of the clones did Shino realise that they were in fact surrounded by Shadow clones. He knew of solid clones; he was in the process of learning the 'Mushi Bunshin'. But to see Naruto actually use Shadow Clones so effortlessly, a technique about which he had heard horror stories, Shino didn't quite know what to think. Every single time, the blonde managed to surprise everyone with something outrageous – Shino decided to just accept that his teammate was extraordinary and roll with it. Hinata on the other hand had never seen or heard of Shadow clones and had the fright of her life when she found that she was surrounded by tangible replicas of her teammate. The replicas all turned and smiled at her when she tried poking one of them. "Oh, don't worry Hinata, I am just a clone. The boss has gone off to find sensei and left us all as guards," the clone she poked said to her. Hinata simply nodded and focused on finding Kurenai with her Byakugan.

The moment Naruto switched places with his clone in the tree cover, he quickly took to the trees and made his way over to Kurenai. He watched her for a while before dropping right next to her. Kurenai looked at Naruto in shock when he appeared at her side.

"Yo!" Naruto spoke in a quiet voice. Kurenai stared at him for a few moments before speaking in a similarly lowered voice. "You can break my illusion that easily? – even if it was a low level one" Kurenai asked in an impressed voice 'Maybe, Asuma was not exaggerating after all'.

"Yea, don't worry about it. My circumstances make it easier for me," Naruto replied while lightly touching his own belly. Kurenai got the message and simply nodded.

"Well, you found me and that means the test is over. I believe we should tell the others" Kurenai said to Naruto and made to get up. Naruto reached out and touched her arm lightly.

"Sensei please, let the other two try and find you. We have plenty of time" Naruto requested. Kurenai was pleased that Naruto wanted to give his teammates a chance – that was a point to Naruto in her mind. She nodded at him and settled down to watch the other two.

Kurenai knew that her genjutsu would be too tough for any genin to break – any except Naruto apparently. Her objective was to see how the team would cover each other's weakness and work together to try and surmount the challenge. Even as she watched, Naruto's shadow clone - she still couldn't believe it – and Hinata and Shino started discussing among themselves.

"Hinata-san, my bugs seem to have found both Sensei and Naruto. Even if we can't see her, you can use your Byakugan to spot Naruto and my Kikaichu. That should tell you where sensei is" Shino spoke to Hinata. Hinata quickly nodded and started looking in the direction Shino suggested. Within moments she could see Naruto and … a bunch of kikaichu floating in the air – she had found Kurenai.

"Welp, looks like they found ya!" Naruto happily exclaimed as the clone closest to his teammates poofed and relayed the memory of their conversation to him. "That they did. Let's go meet them" Kurenai agreed when she found the kikaichu on her. With that, both Naruto and Kurenai made their way over to the other two.

"Very good, you found me" Kurenai began but changed her tone before continuing "However, Naruto found me first and so, he gets to make a call."

"What call would that be?" Naruto asked, suspicion colouring his voice.

"You have to pick one member of the team to send back to the academy, the remaining will become genin" Kurenai stated. Shino showed no visible reaction but Hinata visibly started and nervously kept looking at the others. 'I am the one who should be sent back. I couldn't find her on my own. Shino-kun had to guide me. I am just as weak as Tou-san says' Hinata thought to herself sadly and prepared for the worst.

"Cool. I choose … you" Naruto replied without missing a beat and pointed at … Kurenai.

The others looked at Naruto in shock – Shino, not so much. Partly because he didn't do expressions and partly because he had begun to accept that with Naruto, anything could happen.

"What do you mean?! And you can't pick me!" Kurenai replied with slight shock reflected in her voice.

"Nuh-uh, you kept saying that _we_ are a team. So, I picked _a_ member of the team. I rather like these two," he gestured at Shino and Hinata with a smile "so, that means if I send _you_ back to the academy … the remaining members become genin – the three of _us_ become genin!" Naruto concluded with a proud smile.

The other three simply stared.

"You can't send me -" Kurenai began indignantly, only to shut up abruptly. She could feel the beginnings of a violent headache coming on at Naruto's reply. Shino had simply given up and was staring impassively at the rest. Hinata, for some strange reason felt like giggling, despite the prospect of being sent back to the academy looming over her head. Kurenai kept staring at the blonde and wondering at his convoluted logic. ' _Technically_ he isn't wrong, I too _am_ a member of team 8 but … isn't he a bit too willing to kick his own commander off the team?' She realised with a sigh that she had been played and she couldn't change the conditions now without looking like an idiot. Besides, she liked the team in front of her and, on top of that, she had already vowed to train Hinata. There was no point in dragging it out. Even so, Kurenai couldn't help but give Naruto a slightly dirty look before declaring "I can't believe I am saying this but … You pass! Congratulations, we are officially Team 8 now!"

Naruto whooped once before turning to his genin teammates. "Am I awesome or am I awesome?" he asked the two with a giant grin on his face. Hinata simply smiled shyly at him and thanked him for not sending _her_ back. Shino simply nodded back at him.

"Report at the Hokage tower tomorrow morning at 8.00 am to get your mission assignments. I look forward to us working together" Kurenai said, her voice and mannerisms back to normal. Maybe, with repeated exposure she would become used to Naruto?

The now-official genins waved at her and left the field. Kurenai left to report that she had accepted the team … Kami help her.

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"Team 10 … passed" Asuma reported. The Hokage stared at Asuma for a moment, wondering if he even tested his team or simply passed them. Dismissing those thoughts, he turned to the others.

"Team 8 … passed" Kurenai reported. The Hokage could detect something in her voice – he couldn't say what but, it was there. Like she had _seen_ things – heh he was probably overthinking it. Naruto couldn't have been _that_ bad, right? Right? … Maybe, he should speak to Kurenai later?

"Team 7 … passed" – that had the entire room, bar the Hokage and a select few, gaping at Kakashi. The cyclops simply ignored everyone and leaned back against the wall.

"Well, this is excellent news! Lead your teams with pride – the future of the village is in your hands now" the Hokage addressed the Jonin commanders following which, they all shunshined out.

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Naruto was sick and tired of it all. He had had it with the fences, the cat and the million other odd jobs that he had been laden with since the day he became a genin. This was _so not_ what he had pictured being a ninja to be. No more! Naruto swore to himself that this was the day that he would get real work to do – _ninja_ work.

It had been two months since he had become a genin and he was regretting it with every fibre of his being. His teammates were feeling the same way but were too mild mannered to actually raise a stink about it like Naruto. Kurenai simply told him that it was how the system worked but Naruto could feel himself reaching the end of his rope. The only silver lining had been that he had gotten plenty of time to train with his shadow clones. He had even started working on an original technique. It was a long way from completion but … a start was a start.

Kurenai was unsure of what to do. Naruto was wearing her down with his constant demands for a C-rank mission. She recognised that Naruto would be more than a match for it all by his lonesome, hell, even Shino was ready for a mission of that calibre. It was Hinata that had her worried. Hinata had improved well enough under her tutelage but she still was too unsure of herself. Kurenai had held out hope that working with a team would bring her out of her shell – and it did. It just wasn't enough. 'Maybe a C-rank is just what she needs to give her that boost in confidence. The team is ready enough and I am certain that Naruto will stage a mutiny if I keep putting it off any longer – and the other two will go along with it. Maybe it _is_ time …' Kurenai thought to herself as she accompanied her team to return the demon cat Tora to its owner who was waiting in the Hokage's office – privileges of being the Daimyo's wife Kurenai supposed.

"Team 8 reporting the successful capture and retrieval of the cat Tora" Kurenai spoke with a respectful nod to the Hokage, the moment she entered the office with her team in tow. A hideously made-up woman covered in the gaudiest possible clothes jumped up and snatched the cat out of Naruto's hands. She then proceeded to squeeze the life out of the poor bastard, which had even Team 8 wincing in sympathy for it – no wonder it ran away as often as it did. "Thank you, Hiruzen! Now that I have my baby back, I will be leaving. Toodles!" the woman left with her cat before the Hokage even got a chance to respond.

"Well, that's that. Well done Team 8!" the Hokage said, turning his attention from the door to the team in front of him. "I have a _bunch_ of lovely missions for you … let's see – the Akimichi could use help in the construction of warehouses, the Nara need someone to herd their deer, the -" the Hokage started off cheerfully but stopped when the sound of growling reached his ears. Looking up he saw Naruto straining against himself as if he was trying his very best to not start shouting … which was true.

" _Jiji,_ I came back from you-know-where" Naruto gestured vaguely "to be a ninja – not an odd jobs guy. I have had it with the errands! I refuse! Gimme a real mission!" Naruto fumed at the Hokage.

"NARUTO! SHOW SOME RESPECT!" Kurenai was taken aback at the incredible rudeness and familiarity her subordinate was showing to her supreme commander. 'Are they really that close? Even so, this is not done!'

"Oh, let it be Kurenai! It's okay" the Hokage tried to placate the outraged Jonin. Turning to said Jonin's source of outrage "Naruto-kun, everything you have done _is_ a _real_ mission. What are you talking about?" the old man asked with a serene smile.

"Cut the crap Jiji, you know damn well what I am talking about!" Naruto returned heatedly. Kurenai gasped even harder at that. The Hokage winced slightly before asking

"Are you sure your _team_ is ready?"

"Of course we are! We -"

"The question wasn't for you, Naruto-kun" the Hokage cut Naruto off and turned to Kurenai and watched with some satisfaction as the blonde zipped it in an instant. 'How does it feel to be on the receiving end, huh?' the Hokage thought with some satisfaction at being the one to cut off Naruto for a change. 'Kami, I can't believe I am trying to compete with him! What's wrong with me?'

"Your team, your call Kurenai" the Hokage prompted again. He knew that Naruto was ready and if Shino was anything like his father, then an easy C-rank should be within his capacity by now. It was the Hyuuga girl he was slightly concerned about. He knew of Kurenai's interest in the child. It was time to see how Kurenai would decide.

Kurenai was having the same internal dialogue. She almost said yes just on the basis of Naruto and Shino's eagerness – in Shino's case it was indicated by him leaning forward more than usual. Hinata, however, looked nervous. Her old worries about the girl came to the forefront of her mind once again. 'No! I won't shelter her forever! She won't learn anything like that! She has to see our way of life for herself! Besides, between the three of us, she will be safe.'

Her mind made up, Kurenai turned to the Hokage and in a matter-of-fact tone said "Yes, _we_ are"

The Hokage stared at Kurenai for a few moments before nodding and reaching for a scroll. "Your assignment is a small bandit encampment on the borders of Ta no Kuni. You are to apprehend as many as you can and turn them over to the Daimyo's men … do with the rest what you will."

"Understood Hokage-sama, we won't let you down" Kurenai said with a small bow before turning around and walking out of the room, her team in tow.

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"Yatta! Finally, some action! When do we leave sensei?" Naruto could barely contain his excitement.

"Two hours from now. However," the seriousness in Kurenai's voice had all three turning to her "this is a serious mission. I expect you to follow my orders to the letter. Is that understood?"

After receiving three solemn nods she continued "Good. Go, prepare yourselves and your gear. Meet me at the North Gate in two hours. We will reach the border by nightfall and begin our mission tomorrow"

A couple of hours later, the entire team 8 was assembled at the North Gate. Each of them was carrying a small backpack, Naruto was also carrying his Kusarigama on his hip. "That's new" Kurenai commented when she saw the beautiful weapon. "It was a gift of sorts. I am getting pretty good with it" Naruto replied with a thumbs-up and a cheery grin.

After presenting their IDs and mission scrolls at the gate, all four of them set off towards the border.

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The next morning, the team dismantled their camp and arrived at the edges of the area the bandits were reportedly holed up in. "Okay, remember the plan everyone? Hinata and Naruto, you will provide the layout with your abilities. Naruto and I will then lead the offensive, Shino and Hinata are going to follow behind us and immobilise and apprehend any in their path" receiving nods all around, she continued "Please be careful and don't take any unnecessary risks. Team 8, let's go!"

The team moved silently while sweeping their surroundings constantly with a combination of Naruto's senses, Hinata's Byakugan and Shino's Kikaichu. Hinata's range was around 800 metres and soon she picked up human movements up ahead. They had arrived.

Kurenai came to a stop and motioned for her team to go on high alert and approach the encampment cautiously. Naruto's senses, which had a similar range as Hinata's dojutsu, picked up around 17 presences of below-genin levels of chakra and 3 civilians. All three civilians' presences seemed to be very weak – almost like they were weakened or sick or … dying. The moment the thought crossed his head, he turned around in alarm to find Kurenai and tell her, only for his eyes to land on a horrified looking Hinata.

While the team was creeping forward, Hinata had frozen at her spot some 50 metres behind them. Quickly backtracking to her, Kurenai asked in a worried tone "What's wrong Hinata?".

"T-t-they … the women … They a-are …" Hinata started stammering, with disgust, rage and fear warring across her features. She continued to stare in mute shock and mounting fury at what her all-seeing were showing her.

Kurenai was not stupid. She immediately put two and two together and felt her blood run cold. The word 'women' in the context of a bandit camp gave her a fair idea of what Hinata had seen. Hinata's expressions served only to confirm her suspicion. "It's enough Hinata. Turn off your Byakugan. We have the lay of the land" Kurenai tried to comfort Hinata but she was almost non-responsive. Honestly, Kurenai couldn't blame her. It _was_ the greatest fear every Kunoichi had - for them capture was so much worse than death. To come face to face with it on the very first mission was a particular stroke of bad luck – especially for a young _female_ byakugan user. The all-seeing eye was unfortunately just that – all-seeing.

Naruto had heard Hinata and came to the same conclusion as Kurenai. That explained the weak signatures. Naruto could feel the rage bubbling in the pits of his stomach. Even Shino's face showed his agitation and disgust at what lay ahead of them.

"Sensei, please tell me we aren't _apprehending_ those animals" Naruto ground out with barely restrained fury.

"Just be careful" Kurenai agreed with the enraged blonde. She wasn't letting any of those bastards live. To Kurenai's and the rest of the team's shock, Hinata suddenly spoke up in a voice so far removed from her usual that it was almost unrecognisable. "Let's go … They don't deserve to live" the shy, stuttering girl was gone and, in her place, remained an enraged young woman whose very being cried out against the heinous crimes that she had witnessed.

It was a measure of how deeply affected the rest of the team was that they didn't even comment on the change they witnessed in their shiest member. Naruto simply nodded grimly at Hinata and turned to Kurenai for instuctions. "Give me the layout" Kurenai asked in a flat voice.

"There is a hut where … the women are. I could see two bandits in there. There were three sitting outside and the remaining are standing guard in a rough circle around the hut. We could use the trees for an overhead attack" Hinata reported in a matter-of-fact tone that had Kurenai impressed. 'It is simply a shame that she had to go through _this_ for her to start acting like she should' Kurenai thought sadly for a moment before refocusing on the mission.

Naruto spoke in an unusually serious voice "Hinata, if you will please let me, I can take it from here. You don't need to re-engage your Byakugan … Please" he added the last word in a pleading tone.

'I can do this! … I can't let Naruto-kun always be the one to do everything … I have to prove my worth … But … I am afraid, I don't want to see _that_ again … What do I do?' Hinata was in a quandary and it showed on her face. Kurenai reached out and gently gripped her shoulder "Hinata, please let Naruto help. You need to trust your teammates to help you out. You have given us a layout and approach. That is enough. Let us help you, we are in this together. Please, trust us" Kurenai tried to comfort the disturbed girl. Apparently, it worked as Hinata gave a small nod and turned to the team.

"Good. Naruto, you are point. We have to keep the others from noticing till we reach the hut. We can't afford to let this turn into an active hostage situation" Kurenai spoke shifting back into commander mode from her comforting big sister persona.

"My shadow clones can replace the sentries as we take them down. There are two up in the trees, let me start with them. On my signal, approach the hut" Naruto spoke after receiving Kurenai's go-ahead.

"Good. Shino spread out your paralytic Kikaichu and get them in position once we are in range. Once we capture the hut, we can start an open offensive. After Naruto takes care of the sentries in the trees, we will move in closer and I will put as many as I can under an illusion. Hinata and I will take care of the immobilised ones. Shino watch our backs" Kurenai relayed her orders and received understanding nods all around.

Naruto immediately took to the trees and using his speed to its fullest vanished from sight. A part of Kurenai's mind was marvelling at his speed while the other, more focused part was waiting on pins and needles for the signal.

Naruto quickly climbed higher and soon reached the first tree-sentry. Silently positioning himself above the sentry, Naruto waited to make sure that he wouldn't move. The moment Naruto was sure, he drew his chokuto and dropped down, driving the point of the blade into the junction between the sentry's neck and shoulder. The blade aided by Naruto's weight, pierced the man's heart in an instant and he died without a sound. Naruto withdrew his blade and created a couple of clones. One disappeared with the body and the other henged into the man he just killed.

His thoughts went off on a tangent at that. Baku, he had killed in the heat of a battle for his life. But he felt nothing but good when he killed this … scum. Naruto refused to call him a man. Now reassured that he wouldn't freeze up or something, he sought out his second tree-sentry.

Once again deciding to go for an aerial kill, he started positioning himself for it. He was brought up short when he saw that his mark was in the direct line of sight of another bandit. He created five clones this time. Two clones blurred from view and repositioned themselves in the bushes close to the one on the ground. Naruto dropped a small nut on top of the tree-sentry's head that had him looking up. The moment he looked up; a bunch of things happened simultaneously. Naruto dropped with his Kusarigama and with a swing backed by gravity, took his head off. His clone grabbed both the head and the body and disappeared. The other clone took the sentry's place. At the same moment, the clones in the bush jumped the bandit on the ground. One plunged a Kunai in the voicebox and the other stabbed the man's heart before dragging him away. The first clone took the man's place.

The entire first stage of the operation had taken a minute from the first sentry's death. Naruto looked around and noted the position of the remaining bandits before climbing up to the tree tops. He launched a Kunai high into the air and boosted it with a silent 'Futon: Repuusho' for good measure. The Kunai had been launched towards the area he knew Kurenai was in.

Kurenai was on high alert waiting with grim anticipation for Naruto's signal. The other two were waiting with equally grim faces and no signs of trepidation. They knew what they had to do and why. Kurenai couldn't have been any prouder of them at that moment. Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by a flash high up in the air. A few moments later she heard the whistling of a Kunai followed by a dull thunk as it lodged itself deep within the trunk of a tree twenty feet ahead of their position. They had their signal. 'That is some good aim. Well, looks like it's time to move.'

Kurenai and the other two started moving stealthily but quickly towards the encampment with Hinata guiding them. As they kept moving, Shino kept releasing his Kikaichu which gave off the impression of thick clouds of black smoke streaming from him. The sight intimidated even Kurenai a little. An enraged Aburame was a sight to behold.

Very soon they were within striking distance and well hidden. Kurenai turned to Shino and received a nod in return. His Kikaichu were in place.

Kurenai could see six bandits in front of her. Deciding to go for the quieter option she immediately went through her hand seals and intoned "Magen: Suzumushi Nake" and faded away into the air.

On the ground, the bandits were busy discussing their plans with each other. "Man, I wish the boss finishes up in there soon. I need some good pussy" the first one said with a nasty laugh while gesturing with his head towards the hut.

The other one laughed in response before adding "After _he_ is done with her, I don't think the bitch will be usable. We've gotta find some more fresh meat. The village has some bitches just begging to – ACK!" the man choked mid-sentence as everything started to fade to black. Just as he was about to drop off, he caught the sight of the hottest bitch he had seen in his life. 'I would love to fuck her ass raw …' was the last thought that went through his head before his world exploded in pain and an instant later, he knew no more. Kurenai simply withdrew her Kunai from the chest of the filth she had stabbed. Even as he was dying, she could see the lust in the beast's eyes. Kurenai simply shuddered before turning to the bodies littering the forest clearing.

The technique 'Suzumushi Nake' was designed to induce a complete shutdown of a weak or weakened opponent's system. It was considered to be a generally painless and humane way of immobilisation. Kurenai wanted nothing more than to subject those bastards to the pain of a thousand hells and trap them in their worst nightmares but, she couldn't afford to have them making a sound and tipping the others off. She looked back to see how the others were doing.

Hinata watched as the _men_ on the ground froze up all at once due to a combination of her Sensei's illusion and her teammates Kikacihu. Just as soon as she saw her sensei move, she followed behind her. When she got close to the bandits, a part of her was afraid that she wouldn't be able to do what was necessary but, all her doubts fled when she saw their expressions frozen in evil laughs and smiles. Their hilarity brought on by the suffering of innocent women barely a couple hundred feet away. That alone caused her mind to go blank with rage and before she knew it, she had gathered chakra at the tip of her finger and pierced the heart-tenketsu of the man in front of her. Just as he started stirring from the illusion falling away on account of his heart bursting in his chest, she brought up her kunai on auto-pilot and jammed it in his throat, destroying his voice-box and his ability to cry out. As she watched the piece of trash drop to the ground, she surprised herself when she felt … nothing. 'It's not like I killed another _human being'._ She then proceeded to rid the world of two more pieces of filth. Looking up, she saw her sensei's nod of approval. It didn't make her feel any better.

Kurenai knew that her team would be scarred for life due to the day's events. Since the second stage was complete, it was time to capture the hut. Kurenai wasn't letting Hinata enter, that much she was sure of. She gave the signal and in response saw a blur shoot past her high up in the trees. Shino had already started following Naruto. Kurenai and Hinata brought up the rear.

Shino reached the tree just outside the hut and saw both, the three men outside the door and Naruto on a tree to his right. Naruto raised three fingers and pointed to the forest on the other side of the hut. 'Three opponents on the other side'. A thumbs-up. 'Go ahead with the plan'. Shino signalled his understanding and gave a mental command to his paralytic bugs to bite down on the three below him, all at once. Naruto blurred into the midst of all three and in a smooth flowing motion, slit their throats. Shino nodded in satisfaction before turning to keep an eye on the surroundings. He could see Naruto's clones drag the bodies away and Kurenai and Hinata approach his position.

Naruto could sense his teammates' approach but couldn't wait to go in and save the girls. Mentally apologising to Kurenai and the others, he henged into one of the grunts he just killed and silently entered the hut. He immediately wished he hadn't … oh, how he wished he had done anything but that.

The first thing that reached Naruto's senses was the _smell._ The mixture of scents of blood, sweat, sex and bodily waste had him retching where he stood. Immediately after, came the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh and animalistic groans accompanied by weak whimpers. Finally, his eyes alighted on the backs of two absolutely disgusting brutes thrusting in and out of two badly beaten girls he couldn't fully see – their faces which were scrunched up in pain were clearly visible. Despite the horror he was feeling his eyes continued to scan the room and he saw another girl beaten black and blue and chained to the wall. It was the final ghastly ornament that broke Naruto's mental state. Off to another corner were a couple of girls whose chakra presence he hadn't sensed … _couldn't sense_. Looking at their broken and defiled bodies discarded like garbage, Naruto felt something give way in the depths of his very being.

Doza was living the life. After years of unsuccessful attempts at joining the Iwa shinobi corps, he had given up and left his home country to live his life as a bandit. He had been at it for years. It was only five years ago that he joined and took over the current gang. Their base was located ideally. It was too far away for the Daimyo's men to bother with, the surrounding villagers were too weak to beat them and too poor to hire anybody to do it for them. It was bandit heaven – he could loot whatever and fuck whomever he wanted, but still, the bandit boss was unhappy at the moment - the bitches' cunts were getting loose. He could barely feel anything anymore. Maybe it was time to get rid of these and get a fresh supply. His men had reported some lovely bitches just ripe for the taking in the village over on the eastern edge of the forest. He looked over at his trusted lieutenant and saw his thoughts reflected in his eyes. 'What a shame but still … the asses are tight enough for the time being' he thought to himself with a laugh.

That was the exact moment Doza felt like hell itself had opened its doors and was staring at him. He froze mid-thrust and looked around in sheer terror when he saw a sight that would haunt him till the end of his days – which wasn't all that far away he suspected. All he saw was darkness – and peeking at him from the depths of the darkness were a pair of eyes that belonged only in the most fevered of nightmares. The eyes were an _unholy_ shade of glowing blood-red with a hint of hellfire mixed in. To complete the vision, there were what looked like dozens of glowing chains, the same colour as the eyes, waving in the air like _live_ snakes. The moment he met those eyes, he fell to his knees and could feel his bladder let go. He was dully aware of his lieutenant dropping to his knees beside him but he was too scared to take his eyes off of the diabolical orbs gazing back at him. The chains, which seemed so very content to wave around lazily, suddenly stiffened like snakes sensing their prey and shot forward towards him. Doza screamed. His lieutenant screamed. And his world went black.

Kurenai saw Naruto appear in the middle of the three bandits with speeds that almost looked like a shunshin and slit their throats. She could only stare in wonder and pride at the skill the boy she had come to respect more as a peer than a subordinate, was displaying. Her thoughts were cut short, when she saw Naruto Henge into one of the bandits and walk into the hut. She put on a burst of speed to catch up to him. 'No matter how talented he is, there are some things he is just not ready for' Kurenai thought worriedly. Just as she reached the door, an explosion of power brought her to her knees. The aura that accompanied that explosion made her want to curl up on herself and die. Looking around, she saw Hinata kneeling on the ground staring straight ahead with Byakugan eyes and tears streaming down her face. With great difficulty, she turned around to see Shino on the ground surrounded by a twitching carpet of black – apparently his bugs were just as susceptible to this vile chakra. A chakra she had felt once before, when she was a teenager. A chakra she had felt once before, on the night she had lost her father.

The fox was awake.

Just as the other members of Team 8 were fighting for breath and wondering if this was the day they died, the pressure lifted abruptly. It was still there but faded enough that they could function. Hinata surprisingly was the one who got to her feet first and tried to make her way towards the cottage. Kurenai jumped up and stopped her "Hinata, please it's not safe right now" she warned, but quickly added when she saw Hinata about to reply "I know it's Naruto and he won't hurt us. I believe in him but right now it is dangerous. He is safe, _you_ might not be if you go in."

 _"Thanks for the vote of confidence Kurenai-sensei. It's safe – for you lot at least"_ the distorted voice of Naruto had Kurenai turning towards the source and freezing at the sight before her. It was Naruto but at the same time, it was _not._ His blue eyes which were generally full of life and laughter were now replaced by glowing red orbs that burned with the vengeance of a thousand hells. Emerging from his back were a multitude of similarly glowing chains. Two of those chains, were at that moment, lodged in the shoulders of two huge bandits, and keeping them hoisted in the air like it was nothing. _"Sensei, there are three girls inside – they are in a bad way"_ even transformed, Kurenai could hear the compassion and pain in Naruto's distorted voice. 'He is stronger than the demon' Kurenai thought with pride before nodding and entering.

It was a few minutes later that a horrified and heartbroken Kurenai emerged from the hut. She had unsealed three travel cloaks and covered the girls, before bringing them out. The girls looked around in fear before they focused on Naruto. Contrary to Kurenai's expectations, the only thing she could see in their faces – the portion that wasn't swollen up by the horrific abuse – was unbounded gratitude for the demonic boy who had saved them. Kurenai could understand. 'How many times did those poor girls pray for a Kami to deliver them from their plight? … It was a _demon_ that saved them in the end' Kurenai thought bitterly.

 _"Sensei, take them and start moving. I will finish up here"_ Naruto said with a slight jerk of his head towards the hut. 'Somebody has to bury those girls' Naruto thought to himself. Kurenai got his meaning and it was all she could do to not break down and hug the brave and noble boy in front of her. "Make. Them. **_Pay._** _"_ Kurenai ground out with unshed tears of rage in her eyes. Naruto simply nodded and gave her a chilling smile.

"Naruto-kun, they deserve whatever is coming their way" Hinata added in a steady, grim voice. _"That and_ _ **so much more**_ _"_ Naruto agreed with her. Off to the side, he could see a now-awake Shino simply nod at him. The silent nod spoke volumes and Naruto's responded similarly. The two … no wait, five – Naruto raised his arm and three chains shot into the forest with blinding speeds only for violent screaming to erupt from the trees a few seconds later. The chains slid back to him carrying three skewered-by-the-shoulder bandits with them. The now-five survivors were in for some quality time.

Kurenai knew what was coming next and motioned for the team to follow her. "Naruto, we will be waiting for you at the first camp-site" Kurenai said simply, gave his arm a soft squeeze and left with the rest of the team and the rescuees. Naruto watched them go and once they were out of his sight, he turned to the terrified bandits with a smile. That smile alone was equal to a few years of torture to them.

 _"You know, my mentor … she takes a really dim view of humans. When I look at you, I can see why"_ Naruto spoke in a casual voice. Terrified blubbering was all he got in return. Naruto waited patiently for one of them to say _something._

"K-k-kid, please l-let us go. We will give ya all our loot" pleaded the leader, Doza. _"Interesting offer, but I am already kinda rich … so pass"_ a chain lashed out and took his left arm off. Before the pain registered, another burning chain pressed down on the gaping wound to cauterise it. The pain finally caught up to Doza and he screamed till he passed out.

 _"Well, that was no fun. We will get him to play again. In the meantime, go ahead, offer me something else"_ Naruto mocked the remaining four. When none spoke, Naruto casually stabbed one of the freshly caught bandits in the thigh. _"Offer. Me. Something. Else."_ Naruto repeated slowly whilst ignoring the crazed screaming of the freshly stabbed bastard.

"You are r-r-rich … then we can h-help you g-get pussy!" the lieutenant desperately pleaded in a hopeful voice. Money and Pussy – that was his life's motto. Naruto would have laughed at the man's hopeful voice if what he said didn't disgust him even more. _"You have no idea why I am going through all this trouble do you? Hint – I despise rapists. I know just what to do …"_ Naruto trailed off ominously before shooting a small glob of acid at the man's privates. The resulting scream was enough to wake the dead – it certainly woke Doza. The other three who witnessed the horrific mutilation finally gave up whatever sliver of hope they still had left of being able to make it out alive.

"W-why?" gasped out Doza. _"I am sorry, could you please elaborate?"_ Naruto asked politely. The whimpering from the conscious ones intensified.

"Y-you have all t-the power. T-take w-whatever you want" Doza managed to get those words out with great difficulty.

 _"What I want is very differ – Hey! I am not going to discuss life choices with a dead rapist!"_ Naruto said with a soft laugh _"Besides, would you?"_

"Would I what?" Doza spat.

 _"Would you do whatever you wanted, raped whoever you wanted if you had my power?"_ Naruto asked in a curious voice.

"Yes" Doza replied figuring he had nothing to lose.

 _"Do you want my power? … No trick! Say yes and I will give you as much as you can take!"_ Naruto offered in a neutral voice.

Despite the situation he was in, Doza's eyes flashed greedily and he nodded. 'If this brat can stand having this power, I can too! I will be unstoppable!'

 _"So be it."_ Naruto spoke simply and a chain launched into Doza's gut. Naruto started channelling the Kyuubi's chakra. Back when the Kyuubi was on speaking terms with Naruto, he constantly kept warning Naruto to not take in too much of his chakra or Naruto would melt from the inside. A morbid part of Naruto had always been curious of what it would look like and as luck would have it, he had a _volunteer._

Doza felt pain from the chain stabbing into his gut and cursed in his mind 'Of course the brat was gonna trick me … No one gives away that kind of pow- wait! What is happening?!' Doza's thoughts changed tracks when he started feeling powerful – _truly powerful_ for the first time in his life 'I feel strong! HAHAHAHAHA! I will skull-fuck the brat's corpse! I will f- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! It burns! It buuuuurns! Stop! Stoooooppp! …' and from there he devolved into a mindless screaming wreck as his insides started melting due to the highly corrosive Kyuubi chakra.

The other four – the lieutenant was awake again, barely – could only stare in wonder as their boss started _looking_ powerful. They were saved! Those hopes were utterly and completely dashed to the ground when steam started to emerge from every orifice and pore on Doza's body and he started screaming like a mad man. Soon the steam turned red from the blood being vaporised and his screaming went up a notch. A while later his insides started melting and he lost the ability to even scream. His eyes were the only indicators of his torment and that too changed when they melted in their sockets and started flowing down his face. Soon, Doza was reduced to a bubbling mass of foul-smelling sludge.

Doza's men _prayed_ for the first time in years. Prayed for deliverance. Prayed for forgiveness. Prayed for mercy. And all they got in return was demonic laughter. _"Don't be like that guys! Tell you what … No more chains!"_ Naruto said with a painfully fake voice as he commanded his chains to disperse.

The two who had not suffered much, felt a little bit of hope bloom in their chests 'Maybe the crazy brat will let us go'.

" _We will do this the_ old-fashioned _way"_ Naruto said cheerfully while pulling out his blades. Seeing Naruto approach with a sword in one hand and a scythe in the other while wearing a cruel smile, the remaining bandits _tried_ to scramble back in terror. "Stay away! You – you – demon!"

Naruto pulled up short. _"What did you just call me?"_ he asked in a flat voice.

"Y-y-you heard me! Stay away! Demon brat!"

Naruto simply laughed at that. _"There was a time I would have fought tooth and nail to deny that statement. But if_ you _are human … Believe me when I say that I love being a demon"_ Naruto said with a shrug as he descended on his hapless victims.

_"My mentor likes toying with her victims. I personally never saw the appeal in it. Maybe it is an acquired taste? … Help me figure it out? … SCREAM. FOR. ME."_

And they did.


	19. There's no turning back

"I am sorry … I wish I could have gotten there earlier … Rest in peace."

Naruto looked around the clearing one last time – the sun had started to set and had cast a beautiful russet red glow on the surroundings. He had found a scenic spot in the forest and decided that it would be a fitting place for the girls' final rest. 'I hope you guys are happy in the next life' Naruto thought sadly and sprung into motion and vanished into the trees. The two deep graves, with polished rocks for headstones, were all that remained of the two unfortunate and broken girls.

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"Where is everyone?" Naruto asked Shino worriedly, once he arrived at the camp site.

"Sensei took the girls to the Daimyo's men – they were too badly injured, we couldn't wait. Hinata is with her. I volunteered to stay back" Shino replied in his calm voice. But if one who knew him well were to look closer, they would have found signs of exhaustion – both mental and physical – in the way he carried himself. Naruto could pick up on it immediately but chose not to comment. All of them were in the same boat after all.

"Are you okay, Shino?" Naruto asked with a sideways glance. That only earned him a shrug in response. "You?" Shino asked simply. Naruto shrugged back at him with a sad half smile – there were no words that would be enough.

"Sensei asked us to meet her on the road. She will be joining us on the way, immediately after her meeting with the Daimyo's men"

"Let's go then" Naruto agreed and the two set off.

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The Hokage was wondering, for what felt like the millionth time, about the life of a shinobi and their intimacy with death and darkness. Not for the first and not for the last time, he wondered if it was worth it – if their world was worth it – to have _children_ lose their innocence and lives. He knew that there was a very good chance that the genin of Team 8 could get their first blood on the mission he assigned them. They would never be the same again – it was unfortunate but necessary. Still, seeing the entire team standing in front of him, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone very, very wrong.

"Report" the Hokage directed his crisp order to Kurenai.

"Hai Hokage-sama. We arrived at the forest east of Tokina village the morning of the day before last. We were able to locate the bandit camp fairly easily. There was an unforeseen _complication,"_ Kurenai spat out. She was an experienced Kunoichi but even so, it didn't make it any easier.

The venom in Kurenai's tone took the Hokage by surprise. Kurenai was never one to lose her composure. 'What the hell happened to them?!' the Hokage motioned for her to continue.

"We encountered 17 hostiles and they had three women captives who were barely alive by the time we got there. There were two more who didn't make it" Kurenai's eyes were flashing and the Hokage could tell that she was trying her level best to maintain her composure. 'That explains a lot' he cast a quick glance towards the rest of the team 'To come across something like that on their very first mission. Rough.'

"Naruto did an admirable job of neutralising their lookouts. Hinata and I disposed of the rest on the ground, –" the Hokage was stunned at that 'I didn't think she had it in her!' "– and Shino provided tactical support. Naruto went ahead of us and disposed of the remaining bandits before entering the hut the women were held captive in."

The Hokage almost visibly winced at that 'Unfortunate … truly unfortunate'. Kurenai continued "Fearing for the health of the girls, we left with them to get some medical assistance – all except Naruto."

"Oh, and why was he left behind?" the Hokage asked – already knowing that he wouldn't like the answer.

"To give those animals a small bit of what they deserved before ending their lives" Kurenai said in a casual voice.

"YOU WHAT?!" the Hokage burst out in shock. 'I understand her anger and agree that those rapists deserved painful deaths. But to not do it herself and leave it to a genin – no matter how extraordinary! Damn it all! How will this affect Naruto? He is a ninja, a weapon – but even the best weapon must be tempered by mercy and restraint. Genin need to be eased into it. And I _know_ he tortured those bandits to death. This is not good' the Hokage thought to himself worriedly as he saw the strangely detached faces of the genin of Team 8.

"Kurenai, I am most disappointed. You left a genin in charge of the execution when it was your responsibility?" the Hokage asked in a tone that was a mix of worry, anger and disappointment.

'How DARE he?! He wasn't there! He didn't have to see it with his own eyes! Naruto did! We did! Naruto faced the worst of it! The execution was his right! – and I wouldn't have been able to stop him anyway' Kurenai raged on the inside – her flashing eyes were the only physical indicator of her rage.

" _My_ team. _My_ call. Hokage-sama" she threw the old man's words back at him – the same ones he had spoken to her when he assigned the damn mission to them.

The Hokage could tell the experience had shaken the team _and_ Kurenai – she would never be as disrespectful otherwise. Realizing no good would come out of forcing the issue right then, he decided to dismiss them. The mission was successful and they were alive and whole – that was good enough in his books.

"Very well, we _will_ discuss this later. Submit your report at the earliest Kurenai. Team 8, dismissed" the Hokage said with a weary sigh. 'I will have to trust Kurenai to see her team through this crisis. I will speak to Naruto alone, however.'

'Kami! I can't believe I did that! Thank you Hokage-sama for being merciful! … I am not reporting Naruto's chains or the fox chakra! I will speak to him myself,' Kurenai breathed a sigh of relief as she realised how close she had come close to ticking off her leader. Bowing respectfully to the Hokage she left with her team in tow.

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"I can't tell you how proud I am of you three. You saw the worst the world has to offer and came out on top. Guys, I know this is hard on you but, please try to remember that there is good in this world too. Don't let this incident affect you more than it already has. Don't shut yourselves away. We are a team and we will face this together. Look to me and each other for help. You need to talk about this, I promise I will be there whenever you want me to be" Kurenai spoke with a voice filled with a multitude of emotions in her voice. She looked at each of them and received nods and slight smiles. The team thanked her and made to leave. "Naruto, please stay back a moment" Kurenai called out. "Go on guys, I will be fine" Naruto said to Hinata and Shino when they hesitated.

"What is it Sensei?" Naruto turned to Kurenai once the other two were gone.

"I just wanted to say thank you for looking out for our team – even if it was my responsibility in the first place," Kurenai began

"Sensei, I -" Naruto shut up when Kurenai motioned at him for silence.

"I saw what you did for the team, Naruto. I am not in the habit of saying things I don't mean. I am thanking you and you had better accept it" Kurenai said with a mock glare. Naruto half laughed and shrugged before raising his arms in supplication.

"I also wish to apologise" Kurenai added.

"Eh? What for?" Naruto was confused. Kurenai had never been nearly as chatty with him.

"For many things. First of all, for having pre-conceived notions about you. Notions which you smashed to pieces by showing how kind and capable you are. Both as a person and as a ninja. Now that I have got that off my chest – I would like a chance to be a proper Sensei to you, if you will let me" Kurenai said in a contrite voice.

"Maa, stop it Sensei. You are gonna make me blush. You are my Sensei and despite the slow start, we have become pretty cool with each other. So, yeah … don't worry about it. Besides, who else would I call Sensei? That lazy ape Asuma? Not happening" Naruto said with a bark of laughter. He had noticed the initial awkwardness Kurenai had around him. He had also noticed that with the passage of time Kurenai had warmed up to him.

"Hey, that is not very nice" Kurenai admonished half-heartedly 'I have to give Naruto that. Asuma _is_ a lazy monkey'. 'Interesting. There's definitely something up with the two. Asuma's own father won't defend him!' Naruto thought to himself in bemusement.

"Back to the topic," Kurenai spoke, getting serious once again "Hokage-sama was right. I should never have let you carry out the execution. It was irresponsible of me and –" that was as far as she got before Naruto cut her off.

"Sensei, I am going to stop you right there. I found those bastards. I _saw_ them in action. Their heads were mine! The old man himself wouldn't have been able to pull me away – not peacefully at least" Naruto began heatedly and added the last part with a sheepish grin before continuing – serious once again "Sensei, those bastards are dead and gone. No point beating ourselves up about what might have been. Please don't apologise for any other thing you think you might have done. Let's just start afresh like you said. Cool?"

'This boy is something else! I don't know if – No, I am sure I wouldn't have been able to bounce back like him. I _will_ be a real mentor to him this time around' Kurenai thought to herself. To Naruto she said out loud "Yes, it's _cool._ Take the rest of the week off. Let's meet on Monday to discuss what's next for us. _Cool?"_ she added with a small smile.

"Ha! Now you are speaking my language!" Naruto said with a laugh "See ya later, Sensei."

Naruto turned to leave when Kurenai spoke up yet again. "Naruto?" Kurenai called out in a slightly unsure voice. Naruto turned and faced her with a raised eyebrow. "Did – Did those bastards suffer?" Kurenai asked in a tight voice and averted her gaze. When she received no answer, she looked back up at Naruto to ask him again – and stopped abruptly when she saw the _smile_ on his face. In that moment, as she gazed at the twisted expression on Naruto's normally kind face, she _knew_ – knew without a doubt that those animals had got a fitting end to their miserable lives.

"Goodbye Sensei" And a moment later, he was gone in a blur.

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The next morning, Hinata found herself waiting outside the door to her father's study. Ever since the mission she had been in deep thought. 'Father is right. I have to get stronger. I can't hide behind Naruto-kun and the others forever. I need to be able to stop something like _that_ on my own' her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her father's voice asking her to enter.

"What is it?" Hiashi asked in his customary cold manner as he took in the sight of his daughter 'Hmm, something is different about her'

"Father, I have a request" Hinata spoke calmly while maintaining eye contact. This little exchange was enough to cause Hiashi to raise an eyebrow at her. On a normal person's face, the little gesture wouldn't be too out of place. On a stoic Hyuuga however, and particularly on Hiashi's face, the little expression might as well have been the equivalent of a person screaming in shock.

'She did not stutter! She is actually standing like a proud Hyuuga for once! When did this happen? What the hell has she been doing? … But for now – let's see where she is going with this' now that he looked closer, he could see the subtle changes he had noticed, more clearly. 'Maybe there is hope yet … but it's better not to expect too much of the disappointment' Hiashi thought to himself before continuing in the same tone as before "Speak quickly. I have no time to spare for the likes of you."

Hinata was lost in thought for a split second on hearing Hiashi's words. Any other time, those few words would have been enough to reduce her to the verge of tears. Now, however, she only felt … irritation. "Father, I wish to resume training in Juuken" Hinata spoke in an uncharacteristically steady voice, her face showing no expression.

Hiashi was surprised at that. Of all the things he could have guessed, that wasn't even in the top ten. His daughter – the wallflower-extraordinaire – was coming up to him, of her own volition, to ask for training, of all things? While this was not unwelcome news to him, he also didn't have high hopes. On one hand there was her soft nature and inability to do what was necessary. On the other hand, he could tell that the girl before him was not the same as before. How much of it was a momentary flash of motivation? How much of it was real?

Getting up from his seat, Hiashi made towards the door and spoke in an absolutely cold voice "You wish to learn the Juuken? The pride of our clan? You had the privilege once and lost it. Why should I give you another chance when there are worthier people around? … You have to earn that honour. So far, you have done nothing. Come back when you are worth my time." With those words he swept towards the door.

Hinata felt something towards her father that she would never have dared to in her old life. She hadn't felt this when she had been repeatedly berated by her father. She hadn't felt this when she had been emotionally abused by the man on a daily basis. She hadn't felt this even when she had been humiliated and disowned for the simple crime of not wanting to hurt her own little sister. So, for a moment, she was at a loss, before it struck her. Frustration and sadness, she knew. This feeling … this feeling was rage – she was angry. No, scratch that, she was _infuriated_. 'How … _dare_ he? I have always done nothing but try to gain his approval! What did I get in return?! Even now, when I come to him for help, he turns his back on me?! Naruto-kun and Sensei were right! Father … No! This … This _man_ isn't worthy of my sadness'

"Very well … Hiashi-sama" Hinata spoke in a voice so cold that it gave even Hiashi pause. And then … she _moved_.

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While Hinata was having a _discussion_ with her father; on the other side of the village the Aburame clan heir sought out his own father. "Father, I wish to accelerate my training" Shino began without ceremony the moment he found Shibi.

Shibi was taken aback by Shino's sudden and forceful request, which to him, came out of the blue. 'Well that isn't quite right. He had his first C-rank mission. What did he see that affected him so? I have never seen him this agitated' because now that he looked at his son, he could pick up signs that any other person would have missed. "What brought this on?" Shibi asked as he motioned for Shino to join him on the bench he was sitting on.

"My first C-rank. The mission has _motivated_ me to get better" Shino said simply as he took the seat next to his father.

'I was right. Something happened.' "Would you like to tell me about your _motivation_ and what exactly you expect to learn?" Shibi asked in a cautious tone. Shino looked at him for a moment and let out a small, tired-sounding sigh before launching into the tale of his first _real_ mission. By the time it was over, Shibi was wincing internally. Over his long career he had come across similar things and much worse – but not on his very first mission. The first time was always difficult, for most. 'And to face it on his very first outing … I can't imagine what he must be feeling.' Shibi's heart went out to his son and in that moment, he made his decision. He reached out and put his hand on Shino's shoulder – a huge gesture of affection by Aburame standards – before speaking.

"I will of course grant your request. I will teach you all I know and then some but, it will take time. I will not allow you to shut yourself away in training. I will train you on the condition that I get to decide the pace" Shibi said in a firm tone. He loved his son and he would not let him fall into a pit that he had seen far too many throw themselves into.

Shino wanted to get strong as fast as possible but he recognised the validity of his father's concerns. It was only logical to do something worth doing the right way, rather than burn himself out and ruin it. Shino simply nodded at his father and said "Of course, father. I accept."

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"Very well … Hiashi-sama."

If Hiashi didn't know for a fact that Hinata was the only one in the room with him, he would never have believed that the voice which held such coldness, could have belonged to his daughter. He turned around in shock – and it was just as well because at the same time his instincts warned him of an incoming attack.

If he was shocked before, it was nothing compared to what he felt as he saw Hinata's outstretched palm miss him by a scant few centimetres. If he had been a tad slower, the hit might as well have incapacitated him.

However, Hiashi wasn't the strongest Hyuuga in town for nothing. Quickly recovering from the shock, he positioned himself in a light Juuken stance – the girl didn't warrant his full attention. "What is the meaning of this madness?" Hiashi asked in a frosty tone.

Hinata couldn't believe she just did what she did. 'What is wrong with me?! I just attacked Tou-san! The head of my clan! In his own study!' To her own surprise, more than terror she felt exhilaration. 'I don't know why I did that. But now, I might as well see it through. You want me to prove myself? Here I come … _Hiashi-sama_ '

Hinata said nothing and gave no outward impression of having heard Hiashi's question. She simply came out of the follow through of her surprise attack and stood up to her full height before turning to her father.

"Well? Answer. Me." Hiashi demanded of the girl that he could barely recognise. The weakling didn't possess such confidence or sheer audacity. If she had, he might not have kicked her out in the first place. 'Who are you?' a part of his mind was wondering as he took in the person before him.

Hinata said nothing and simply dove forward. Hiashi was forced to defend and dodge around the room as Hinata kept up a relentless barrage of attacks. While the attacks were nowhere near a level to be a cause of concern to him, he still couldn't help the shock he was feeling at the proficiency Hinata was displaying. 'Her form is near perfect! The speed isn't bad either! How long has she been able to do this? Could I have been wrong about her?'

After a while, the master martial artist in him started to come out and Hiashi started probing Hinata's defences with a mix of attacks. The defence was also nigh impeccable with very little openings and flaws he noted with grudging approval. Each blow that Hinata returned was aimed at a vital area, backed by a determination that he would never have believed her to be capable of.

"I have indulged your foolishness long enough. Stand down or face the consequences" Hiashi spoke in a dangerous voice as he realised that Hinata was showing no signs of slowing down and it was getting difficult to keep up the current pace without him having to hurt her badly. The concern wasn't born out of any fatherly love, rather it was the feeling of not wanting to damage a potentially useful tool.

"Very well" Hiashi slipped past Hinata's guard and struck a tenketsu point on her left shoulder. Hinata disengaged and moved out of range. Cradling her now-useless left arm, she looked up at her father warily 'I never stood a chance. However, I will not give up that easily. He doesn't even have his Byakugan engaged. This just might work …' Hinata quickly palmed a kunai and flung it at Hiashi's neck and spun around at the same time. Coming out of her spin, she lunged forward again.

Hiashi was shocked, flabbergasted and another fifty-seven different varieties of gobsmacked. 'This is not Hinata! She wouldn't _dare_!' was the only thought he had as he saw the Kunai approach him. He almost negligently moved his head out of the way and was about to block Hinata again when his instincts flared up yet again. He caught some movement out of the corner of his eye and reached out to pluck the Kunai, which had swung back, out of the air. That split second of distraction cost him as he barely managed to dodge a very 'un-Hyuuga' kick to the face – it grazed his chin however and left an angry red mark.

Hiashi staggered back and could only stare in absolute shock between the kunai in his hand and his panting daughter on the ground. 'Steel wire! She hid the pulling motion in her spin! She used it as cover to get close and make me drop my guard! A worthy plan - even if I was not taking her seriously'

He focused his entire attention on Hinata who looked about ready to pass out due to exhaustion. 'Whatever the case – she actually managed to _STRIKE ME_!' Hiashi thought still in a state of disbelief.

'I actually managed to score a hit!' Hinata thought to herself in pleased shock. Her satisfaction was increased even further as she saw the gobsmacked look on the oh-so-great Hiashi Hyuuga's face. As she knelt on the ground, about to pass out, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself softly at the unhinged jaw of her father. The time she had spent with the trickster of a teammate she had, had rubbed off on her. Before she met Naruto, she would never even have considered such unorthodox and 'improper and un-Hyuuga' moves. Now, she could only revel in the results of her friend's influence. 'Thank you Naruto-kun. I will thank you personally if father doesn't kill me today' she half-joked and half-prayed in her mind as the full weight of the situation bore down on her. Technically, what she did could be considered an attempt on her clan head's life. 'Whatever happens, I will face it like Naruto-kun – On my feet!' she started struggling to get up.

'She is getting up again?!' "I should kill you for what you did today. You are aware of that, yes?" Hiashi addressed Hinata, once again calm – on the outside at least. When he received no answer but a blank stare, he continued "However, you have shown me that you are not completely useless therefore, you live … You get one chance and one chance only," Hiashi spoke with a hint of something sinister in his demeanour. "While you surprised me, you had to resort to cheap tricks unbecoming of a Hyuuga. That is unacceptable. We Hyuuga do not fall below our station – no matter what! This cannot go unpunished. You wanted training? So be it!"

Those were the last words Hinata heard before she felt her father strike her core painfully and the world faded to black.

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"Godammit, not again!" Naruto groaned out loud the second morning after his return. While his teammates had jumped head first into their training, he had decided to rest. Only, his plan wasn't going so well. He kept having random nightmares, centred around the girls from the forest for the most part. Waking up for the third time from a disturbed sleep, he gave it up as a bad job and decided to spend the day outside.

After getting ready for the day, he decided to swing by Higurashi's – there was some money to be made.

"Yo! Kinta-san! Guess who's back!" Naruto almost kicked the door to the shop down in his overly enthusiastic greeting.

"Hey! Watch it, you loud-mouthed brat!" came an unfamiliar voice. Naruto paused in confusion at the new face behind the counter. "Who're you?" Naruto asked.

"I am Tenten and my father owns the shop. Who are you? and what is a baby genin doing in here?" Tenten asked imperiously.

'Baby genin? Seriously? She herself has a puny amount of chakra and is clearly not a chunin! Do some people make it a point to go about pissing others off randomly' Naruto thought to himself incredulously, before realising the slight irony in that question '… well, I do. But only because I can get away with it. What excuse does she have?'

"Oh, you are Kinta-san's daughter then. Nice to meet ya. The name's Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto began politely before changing to an insultingly condescending tone. "Be a good little girl and get your father for me. This 'baby genin' is here on business that you are not quite ready to handle" Naruto finished with a mocking smile.

"WHY YOU –" Tenten was infuriated by the cheek of the brat. She had heard of him before and knew exactly who he was and how very recently he had graduated the academy. 'I oughta take him outside and show him his place' "You! Outside! Now!" she demanded.

"How about … no? I don't make it a habit of going around beating up the whiny little daughters of my friends … and I think that said friend has had enough free entertainment and should come out now" Naruto addressed the last part to the curtain separating the backroom from the counter; while ignoring the spluttering Tenten.

"Hehehehe well ya got me. It's lovely to see kids getting along" Kinta said with a shit eating grin. Tenten turned around in disbelief and started growling at her father. Kinta quickly changed the topic "Long time, no see Naruto. How are you? And what can I do for you?"

"I've been busy old man. Just got back from my first C-Rank mission. I've also got a stockpile of silk … know anyone who might be interested in stuff like that?" Naruto asked the last part with a laugh.

Kinta's yell of "Gimme!" was matched only by Tenten's yell of "Bullshit!". Both Naruto and Kinta stopped to stare at the girl.

Tenten flushed slightly at the sudden attention but soldiered on anyway. "No way you got a C-Rank mission. Genin teams don't get their C-Ranks until at least six months from their formation." Even Kinta looked surprised as he was reminded of the fact. The truth was, it wasn't a hard and fast rule but was more of a guideline – mostly in place to ensure that the new recruits, especially those of civilian origins, had enough time to be field ready. Naruto's team didn't really need it in his opinion, because both his teammates were clan kids with prior training and he himself was … well … Naruto Fucking Uzumaki.

Naruto simply shrugged "What can I say? I am awesome, my team is awesome and thankfully our sensei recognises the fact for herself."

"Well then, congratulations Naruto! This calls for a celebration! Tell you what … have a B-rank toolkit, on the house!" Kinta happily declared to a grateful Naruto. While this was going on Tenten couldn't believe her eyes and ears. If what he was saying was true, then his team must truly be extraordinary. And why was her father acting so chummy? It was like they really _were_ friends.

"Here ya go, same size as always" Naruto tossed the storage scroll to Kinta. Kinta simply pocketed the scroll and reached behind the counter for a bag of money.

"Whoa whoa whoa won't you at least check the shipment?" Naruto asked. Tenten was nodding her agreement from the other end of the counter.

"What's the point? Knowing you, the quality has only improved. This way, if I pay you the same rate, I might actually end up saving money hehehehe" Kinta said with a laugh. Naruto was touched at the man's show of trust.

"I can't believe I almost forgot! Here's another package for you" Kinta reached below the counter and handed him a heavy brown bag. "Gloves and trousers, just like your jacket. Consider it an added bonus!" Kinta said with a happy smile at Naruto's look of askance.

"Holy shit! I was planning on commissioning these but kept forgetting! Are you sure you don't want any payment for these?" Naruto asked the last part with slight hesitation.

"Don't worry. I am building customer loyalty. You are not done growing yet. I will be sure to more than make up for those clothes when you commission new ones. Only these are free" Kinta said with a sly grin. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at that. "Man, you are something else. See ya later Kinta-san!"

Naruto pocketed the money and picked up his new gear before leaving the store.

"Hey, wait –" Tenten began but he was already gone. "Were you thinking of challenging him?" Kinta asked with a knowing smile. "Well, yeah. The mouthy little menace needs to be shown his place!" Tenten returned with fire in her eyes. Kinta loved his daughter, he really did but, at times he really wished that she would be a little slower to anger. Her being teammates with that stuck-up mopey Hyuuga wasn't helping her case any. "Listen well Tenten. If you want to be able to lay even a finger on that boy, you need to get stronger … a lot stronger" Kinta said to Tenten, all traces of jocularity gone from his voice. "You can't be serious father? He is a fresh genin!" Tenten asked with some measure of scepticism in her voice. "Hey, hey, hey I wanted to warn you and I did. If you want to ignore me and get your butt kicked, it's your problem … For now, look after the store. I did promise your mother lunch today. Tata!" Kinta said with a laugh and walked out, leaving a thoughtful Tenten behind. 'She needs to open her eyes and see that there are people far stronger and more talented than that blasted Hyuuga she hangs out with'

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Naruto was bored – he had money, he had time and he had no work. An ideal combination by any stretch of imagination. Then, why was he at a loss for what to do? Racking his brain hard for people to go annoy … er, visit, he finally decided on a certain monkey. 'What if he is out of the village on a mission with his team? … Yea right!' Naruto snorted to himself before setting off towards training ground 10.

Just for the heck of it, Naruto decided to go into complete stealth mode and approached the training ground. This particular ground had a small cottage with an open veranda to the far end. 'No wonder a team with both Shika and Asuma on it, call this place home'. As he got closer, his sensitive ears could pick up the shrill voice of Ino berating the others to get up and get some work done. 'I can't believe I am saying this, but Ino is making sense.'

"She is right, ya know?" Naruto said casually as he appeared in the midst of the team gathering.

Asuma had been surprised when he sensed Naruto only after he got within twenty feet of them. 'My, my someone has improved their stealth skills'. As a result, Asuma did not jump in shock at his sudden appearance. The same could not be said for his team. Shikamaru started violently, Choji choked on his crisps and Ino screamed. "What the f-" "ACK!" "GAAAAH!" "Hey brat! Been a while!"

"What a welcome! Nice to see you all … even you, Lazy-bones" Naruto said with a cheery smile.

"Hello there, Naruto. How did you do that?!" Ino asked in complete awe after recovering from her shock. "What can I say? I am simply awesome!" Naruto said with a small grin.

"Oh great, another troublesome blonde … I didn't know we had it good so far" Shikamaru drawled out with a small smirk. That, had Naruto smirking back and Ino growling at him. "What did you just call me?" Ino asked in a low voice. Choji quickly broke in to head another one of Ino's rants off. "Hey there Naruto, how's life as a genin? We have barely seen each other since graduation"

Naruto nodded guiltily at the reminder. "Well I have been busy with missions and training so …"

"Yeah, I have been getting all sorts of updates about your performance … including the latest one" Asuma added in a meaningful tone while looking at him worriedly. Naruto looked up sharply and harrumphed in irritation at the searching look Asuma was directing towards him "I am fine Lazy-bones."

"Hey, what are you talking about Sensei?" Ino asked curiously, even Choji and Shikamaru were looking on in interest. Naruto simply glared at Asuma "You just had to open your big fat mouth, didn't ya?". Asuma grimaced guiltily at that.

"Well, Naruto was just on his first C-Rank mission. It was a rough one" Asuma summed it up succinctly. Ino wasn't satisfied and was about to demand more in the way of explanation when Shikamaru stopped her.

"Thanks for that, since the cat is part way out of the bag … Get your sensei to tell you the story on _his_ time. I came here to catch up with you lot, not talk about myself" Naruto said with a grateful smile to Shikamaru.

"But you are the first from our class to go on a C-Rank mission. I bet it must have been all sorts of awesome!" Ino protested. Naruto simply turned to Asuma with a raised eyebrow "I will leave it to the monkey. For now, who is up for some barbecue?" Naruto asked – if this didn't get him out of the conversation, nothing would. Surely enough, at the sound of the magic word, Choji started like a warhorse "LET'S GOOOO!" Any further demands or protests by Ino were left in the dust of Choji's departure.

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"Oh man, that hit the spot" Choji groaned in satisfaction as he sat, surrounded by the debris of his meal. Naruto snorted at that "It had better. I swear man, you can eat more of this stuff than I can eat ramen."

"Please, oh please don't start that troublesome debate again" Shikamaru pleaded.

"What debate?" Ino asked. This was the first time she was spending time in Naruto's company so she wasn't aware of the infamous ramen vs barbecue debates Naruto and Choji could get into.

"Don't ask lest you set them off" Shikamaru said warningly.

Ino could only stare wistfully at the three. She had been friends with Choji and Shikamaru since they were all children. Her relationship with the two had fallen to the wayside when she had joined the cult of Uchiha. Now, as she saw the easy camaraderie between the three boys, she couldn't help but wonder sadly 'Sasuke-kun is cute and all but seriously, why did I stop spending time with these two knuckleheads. How much did I miss?'

She was brought out of her thoughts by the words of her Sensei. "Man, this is awesome! Naruto you are a blonde too. What say you jump ship and join my team? We can send Ino over to Kurenai – that we maintain our blonde quota. No one would hound us to get up and work. We could spend our days developing our … tactics. Yes, tactics. And spend the remaining time at barbecues!" Asuma said with a silly grin. Ino knew that her sensei was joking but even so his words hurt her a just a little.

Naruto saw the brief flash of hurt pass across Ino's face and despite himself, he couldn't help but feel a little bad for her. He gave Asuma a slight glare before speaking in a voice absolutely dripping with mockery "Yes, because all blondes are absolutely interchangeable. Besides, do you lazy bums have any idea how good you have it? Ino only _tells_ you to work. I, on the other hand, possess the strength to kick your lazy asses and _make_ you work … Still think I should join you lot?" he asked the question with a devilish grin.

Asuma paled as he realised that he hadn't considered that angle. Exchanging looks with the other members of his, he saw similarly horrified expressions directed towards him.

"On second thoughts, the Ino-Shika-Cho are a village legacy team and it would be sacrilegious to break them up" Asuma hastily backtracked. That, earned him a snort from the others.

As they were getting up to leave, Naruto, for some inexplicable reason, found himself talking to Ino alone. "You know that jackass was just kidding, yeah? He didn't mean what he said" Naruto asked Ino.

Ino for her part, was surprised at being addressed directly by Naruto and … was he comforting her? None of the guys she knew would ever do that – they were too thick. 'Only if Sasuke-kun cared as much …' even as she had that thought, she realised a part of her did not much care for what Sasuke would have thought or done. 'When did that happen, I wonder?' the truth was, while her crush on the Uchiha continued unabated, the shameful display on the day of their graduation had a put a dent in his reputation – in her books at least. Refocusing on Naruto, she said "Oh I know! I am going to make them pay though!" She even cracked her knuckles for good measure.

"You know, I can help with that" Naruto said with a sly grin. "How?" came the eager question. Naruto leaned forward and whispered into her ear. When he was done, the both of them shared diabolical smiles with each other. "Thank you so much! I can make wonderful use of this!" Ino said with stars in her eyes.

"Don't mention it! Anything to make the monkey's life hell" Naruto replied with a grin before walking away.

'You know, he is pretty cool too!' Ino thought happily as she watched Naruto's retreating back. She ran to catch up with her team and when Asuma asked what kept her, she just smiled sweetly at him.

Asuma did not like that – _at all_.

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Naruto spent the next two days lazing about and spending time with team Asuma. It was clear that Ino hadn't used the weapon he had provided her; but at the same time, Asuma's fearful anticipation was just as rewarding to witness. 'The Yamanaka _are_ reputed to be skilled at mind games after all. Maybe there is more to Ino than meets the eye.'

If anybody would have told him only two days ago, that he would become friends with fangirl-extraordinaire Ino Yamanaka, Naruto would have knocked the person out and delivered him to the Konoha mental ward, bound and gagged. Now, however, to his absolute shock, he found himself striking up an easy friendship with the Yamanaka. 'Yuki's right … Nothing like a good bit of blackmail to bring people together' At the thought of Yuki, he grimaced guiltily. He hadn't seen her since he returned to Konoha for the second time 'Dammit! I swear I will go visit her after my next mission.'

Monday dawned nice and bright. Naruto was thankful that he had not been plagued by nightmares the previous night and as a result, he was fresh as a daisy when he made his way to the training ground.

Naruto was the first to arrive and had to wait only a few minutes before he was joined by his teammates. "Hinata! What the hell happened to you?!" Naruto asked in a mixture of worry, shock and anger as he took in his friend's appearance. Hinata looked tired and beaten; and at the same time … inexplicably happy. There were visible bruises on her shins and arms. Her face looked weary and slightly sleep deprived; but even with that, she was smiling at him. 'Wait she is smiling at me … She is looking me right in the eyes without showing signs of fainting! What the hell?'

"Don't worry Naruto-kun. I just overdid my training. I am fine" Hinata explained without her customary stutter. 'Holy shit! Not one stutter!' Naruto stared at her in unbridled surprise. Hinata mistook his expression for disbelief and hurried to reassure him "No really, Naruto-kun it's fine. It looks much worse than it actually is."

"HINATA!" came the shocked voice of Kurenai who had joined them by now. "Who did this to you?!" she was almost snorting in fury as she took in her student's condition. Hinata was touched at the show of concern from her teammates and sensei.

The past few days had been hell on earth for her. To Hiashi, training apparently meant torture. The old Hinata would have folded and bowed out after the first hour. But now? Now she was … different – She had purpose.

As she looked around her, she took in the concerned faces of the people that changed her life. Kurenai, the first person to believe in her. Shino, quietly trusting and supportive in his own way. And finally, Naruto – who actually gave her hope just by being himself and helped her in believe in her own self. With her team, there was no judgement – for the first time in her life since her mother's death, she was surrounded by people who cared for _her._ Not the disowned Hyuuga heiress, not the failure but simply _her_. These people were more of a family to her than her own clan ever was. 'That's right. _This_ is my family … and I will never ever let them down.' Hinata was almost overcome with emotion as the thought took definite shape in her mind for the first time 'Come on! Don't cry now. Get a grip!'. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts and emotions because Kurenai started questioning her with renewed worry in her voice.

"Hinata, please talk to us. What happened?" Kurenai almost begged.

"Who do we need to beat into the ground? Just point him out" Naruto asked with a slight growl when he saw Hinata on the verge of tears. Even Shino's _stance_ conveyed his agreement with Naruto's words.

"Y-you guys. I am alright, really. I am just glad that I have you" Hinata said with a watery smile. The others quickly exchanged glances between them. "We wouldn't have it any other way Hinata-san" Shino was the one to speak up this time. "What he said! Now will you please tell us about those bruises? What the hell have you been up to?" Naruto questioned after his enthusiastic agreement with Shino's words.

"Hai. The morning after our return, I –" Hinata began her tale and as the story progressed, she could see the myriad emotions on the faces of her audience. Kurenai was caught between disbelief, worry and pride. Naruto was simply grinning at her proudly – that caused a pleasant warm feeling to bloom in her stomach and sweep throughout her body. Even Shino was listening intently. "– and I finished my early morning training before coming here" Hinata ended her tale. There was silence for a moment before Naruto and Kurenai spoke up simultaneously.

"Do you have any idea –" "Woohoo! Way to kick ass –" Kurenai and Naruto looked at each other – Kurenai mostly glared before turning back to Hinata.

"That attack could have been construed as an attempt on a clan head's life! What were you thinking?!" Kurenai asked in shock.

Hinata simply looked down nervously "I d-don't know. One moment he was berating me as usual and the next I was attacking him. I – I really don't know what came over me"

"Hey, sensei, Hinata's obviously fine. So, let's go easy on her for now, yeah?" Naruto interjected.

"Hai. I am fine, really" Hinata agreed with a thankful smile.

Kurenai looked between the two of them and it was obvious she did not want to let the topic lie but relented anyway "Fine. Hinata, you and I will be discussing this later. For now, let's just get back to the meeting." Kurenai took a moment to compose herself before addressing the team again. "You guys have gained skills past what is expected of genins; and now it is time to take it up to the next level. I am confident that this team will be more than ready for the chunin exams in six months – which is when Konoha will be hosting this year's exams."

"Oh yeah! We will totally kick ass!" Naruto said with a confident smile and looked around to receive affirmative nods from his significantly more restrained teammates.

"Not without training you won't! Sit down and listen!" Kurenai barked at the blonde. Naruto settled back down with a sheepish grin. "Naruto I am not an expert in any of the fields you are proficient in – that does not mean I can't arrange for people who are." Kurenai spoke and Naruto sat up in interest. "For your taijutsu, I have already talked to Might Gai. He will be leaving on a mission shortly so your training with him will have to wait. I have been trying to get a hold of Kakashi to look in on your ninjutsu but I can't find him anywhere. That leaves us with Kenjutsu. I understand that you are learning the Uzushio style kenjutsu but you need to train with actual practitioners and not your clones. To that end, I have convinced my friend Yugao Uzuki to train you."

"Woah, thanks sensei!" Naruto was dumbstruck at Kurenai's initiatives. 'Dammit she really is taking this sensei thing seriously. I have gotta do something nice for her.'

"As for you Shino, I think it is best that you pick up taijutsu skills to cover for your short-range weaknesses. You will be training against Hinata and Naruto occasionally till you improve. I will get Gai-sensei to train you then" Kurenai addressed the budding bug-master. Shino nodded in agreement. The Aburame clan did have a taijutsu style but it was geared more towards disengagement and gap creation. Having an idea about different styles would only help. "Also, I know that it is not customary for your clan to pick up elemental ninjutsu … please consider it an option" Kurenai suggested. Unknown to Kurenai, Shino had been having similar thoughts. "One last thing for you Shino. I have talked to another friend of mine, Anko Mitarashi, to give you further training in poisons and other tactics."

'Oh damn! She is going all out, isn't she?' Naruto whistled to himself. He could tell that Shino himself was similarly impressed.

"That leaves you Hinata. Your taijutsu is apparently being taken care of by your _clan_ " Kurenai said with a disapproving sniff as she pointedly glared at the visible bruises on Hinata's limbs. "I have a suggestion that if known, would probably put me on the hit list of every Hyuuga; but I feel it's my duty to offer all the same" at Kurenai's words all three sat forward in intrigue and worry.

"Sensei, I don't understand" Hinata spoke up worriedly 'What does she mean? I won't allow her to put herself at risk!'

"How does genjutsu work?" Kurenai asked while waving Hinata down. The team was taken aback at the sudden detour. "Um, the user injects her own chakra into the system of the target and manipulates it to trick the target's senses" Hinata ventured, unsure of where this was going.

"Correct! but what they don't tell you at the academy is that it is only half the story. Once the chakra has been injected into the system of the target, the genjutsu user has to battle against the very chakra network of the target in order to guide the injected chakra and cause the illusory effects. Most users do it unknowingly, by using power to compensate for finesse. The finesse is hard to achieve because it takes years of practice and an uncommon amount of talent to get a feel for projected chakra – especially when it's in a foreign system. It takes years to achieve the ability to wilfully and _skilfully_ manipulate the chakra – at least for those without the ability to _see_ chakra at least. Do you see where I am going with this?" Kurenai prompted halfway through the explanation. The team had caught on to the idea if their impressed expressions was anything to go by.

"But – but then why don't any Hyuuga use genjutsu?" Hinata asked in wonder.

"Ego, mostly. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha have always had a bitter rivalry. Just because the Uchiha were genjutsu users, the Hyuuga turned up their collective nose at the art" Kurnai explained with a sigh. Naruto simply chuckled at the story while Hinata and Shino looked to be in deep thought. "I believe that your byakugan sight coupled with its range can make you a formidable genjutsu user. The only problem is your clan. If you wish to learn it, you will have to keep it a secret. However, if you don't wish to risk your clan's wrath, I completely understand."

'You are always looking out for me, aren't you Kurenai-sensei' Hinata thought to herself before making her decision. The excited and encouraging looks on Naruto and Shino's faces only served to reinforce her decision. "I agree, Sensei." Hinata said in quiet but firm tone.

"Are you sure? You don't need to say yes just because I am asking."

"Yes, I am sure. I honestly don't care what they think. I was disowned remember?" Hinata said in a slightly defiant tone of voice. Naruto and Shino nodded along with her words – they were aware of her banishment and had been shocked and outraged when they had first found out about it.

"Very well. It will be your last resort then. No one can ever know – not until you can protect yourself against anything your clan can throw at you."

"Understood, Sensei."

"That's decided then," Kurenai paused for a moment as she saw a familiar figure entering the field "and just in time too. Team, meet Yugao Uzuki, one of the best kenjutsu experts in Konoha."

The new comer was an enchantingly beautiful kunoichi with lustrous purple hair that reached her waist. She stood almost as tall as Kurenai and was dressed in what all of them could recognise was the standard ANBU uniform. She did not have her mask on as she was obviously off-duty and carried a katana over her shoulder. Once the introductions were over, she turned to Naruto.

"So, Nai-chan tells me that you are a budding kenjutsu master" Yugao said with a small smile.

"Nai-chan?" Naruto asked with a mischievous smile and could see Kurenai face palm, out of the corner of his eyes. "I am learning the Uzushio style kenjutsu. I don't know how good or bad I really am. At the very least I am good enough to not stab myself" Naruto joked with a smirk.

"You would think so" Yugao replied with a small smirk of her own. "There is only one way for me to reliably gauge your skill"

"When do we do it?" Naruto asked, figuring out her meaning.

"Now"

Yugao drew her blade and Naruto leapt back to create some distance between the two. 'I have more chakra of course but I am sure as all get out that she outclasses me hopelessly in kenjutsu.' Naruto quickly drew his chokuto and held it in a reversed grip.

"Why do all newbies hold their sword the wrong way?" Yugao asked with both irritation and amusement colouring her voice.

"I dunno, looks cool I guess" Naruto replied honestly with a shrug. He could hear Kurenai's groan and Hinata's quiet giggle. Shino had simply taken a seat to watch the proceedings – Naruto never failed to deliver.

"Yes, because _that_ is the most important thing about kenjutsu – _looking cool._ " This time around Yugao's amusement wasn't as muted.

'She is laughing at me! We can't have that now, can we?' Naruto thought to himself and charged.

'What the fuck happened?!' Naruto could only stare at the blade at his neck in shock. He had rushed forward with all his speed and delivered a pretty good slash. 'Then, what the hell is this?'

Yugao was impressed with Naruto's speed – his form? Not so much. The expert that she was, she could tell from that one attack that there was a style behind the blonde's attack. It was just too raw and unrefined and full of holes. 'It's good that I was called in at this stage of his training. I can prevent him from developing deep rooted flaws. For now, …' Yugao saw the wide swing aimed at her neck. She simply used the upper part of her blade to redirect the swing away from her body and continuing with the same motion she angled her blade and thrust forward. A split second later the point of her blade was at Naruto's throat.

"All that speed and so little control" Yugao taunted Naruto. Naruto for his part was split – one part was in genuine awe of the woman's skill and the other was getting pissed. Naruto quickly jumped back and slid in to one of the stances from level 2 of the Uzushio style.

"Come at me" Yugao said simply. Naruto obliged and went for a thrust and slash combo. Yugao handily dodged both the strikes with minimal effort. She wasn't an ANBU captain for nothing. She spun out of the way and used the flat of her blade to strike Naruto's butt and send him reeling to the ground.

"Please … _please_ tell me you are a ninjutsu user" Yugao taunted again. Naruto was almost ready to tear his hair out in frustration. This was nothing like getting mobbed by his clones. 'Dammit all, she is like liquid lightning. I can see her and I can sense her but I can't adjust my blade to counter her. How is she moving like that?!'

The speed Yugao was _displaying_ was about the same as Naruto's; but her superior skill and awareness made it near impossible for Naruto to come even close to hitting her. The cycle continued over and over for another hour and each time Naruto was either knocked down or left slashing at empty air. Despite his repeated failure, Naruto could feel himself getting better and adjusting to Yugao's movements ever so slightly.

Yugao for her part was mightily impressed. 'This guy's mind is like a steel trap when it comes to fighting. He hasn't repeated the same mistake more than once in all this while. I wasn't really sure when Nai-chan asked me to teach him. I came only for her sake but now, I am sure that this will be worth my while' Yugao held up a hand bringing their spar to an end. "That's enough … for today" Yugao said and Naruto grudgingly sheathed his sword. "I can tell that training you won't be a complete waste of my time. I will work out a schedule with Nai-chan and she will let you know" Naruto nodded with a mock pout at her words and Yugao turned to Kurenai. "Nai-chan I will see you later. Take care all" and she vanished in a shunshin.

"She is amazing!" Naruto freely admitted once he was sure that Yugao wasn't in range. Kurenai laughed and agreed "That she is Naruto. So, get ready to give it your all, okay? It is very hard to impress Yugao and she will expect more of you for that very reason. Do your best, hmm?"

"Ya got it Sensei!" Naruto agreed with a bright smile.

"Sensei" Shino spoke up this time "will you please teach us the shunshin?"

Kurenai thought about it for a couple of moments and nodded "No reason not to. Gather around."

The class on shunshin continued for a couple of hours at the end of which all three could perform it with varying degrees of skill and accuracy. "Woohoo that's a rush!" Naruto yelled out. "It is quite exhilarating" Shino agreed. "This is a very useful skill to have. It will take time to master" Hinata nodded at the other two.

'This is amazing! These three picked up most of it in less than three hours! Granted that all three have prior training, I still expected at least two sessions before they did even this much' Kurenai stopped her gaping and addressed the team "You guys just keep surprising me. Well done! I think that's enough for today."

"I believe we should start taking missions again – C-Ranks only. Is everyone okay with it?" Kurenai asked cautiously and surely enough, the three in front of her stiffened. Seeing that, she quickly added "We can take more time off if you like. Focus on training and the like."

"I am in favour of going out again. We should not let one experience bog us down like that. What are your opinions?" Shino was the first to respond.

Hinata and Kurenai looked worriedly at Naruto who seemed to be lost in thought. He was the one who had borne the worst of it in their last mission after all. Naruto came out of his thoughts a moment later "Yeah, Shino's right. Besides, there is bound to be much worse stuff out there. Maybe, we will help some people along the way" he added the last part as the image of two graves in a clearing flitted across his mind.

"If Naruto-kun and Shino-kun agree, I am fine with it" Hinata was the last to voice her opinion.

"If you are sure … meet me at the Hokage tower the day after tomorrow at 9.00 am. Go home and rest." Kurenai delivered her parting remarks 'No more bandit camps this time. A simple protection or delivery mission should be just about right.'

The three said their goodbyes and walked out of the field together. "Naruto-kun?" Hinata had just remembered her promise to herself. "Wassup Hinata?" Naruto asked with his ever-present grin. "I just wanted to t-thank you" a hint of her recently-ditched stutter made a reappearance. If Naruto noticed, he didn't comment on it "Aw you're welcome! But for what?" Naruto asked his grin getting even wider. Hinata blushed before replying "When I _sparred_ against my father, I was able to land a blow only because of what I learned from you." Naruto thought for a moment 'Truth be told I was surprised when she told us about her tactics. And yes … that _is_ the kind of shit I would pull.' To Hinata, he said "Come on Hinata. Don't mention it. What are teammates for? … Say, wanna grab some ramen … you too Shino? … I can't believe this but we've never been to Ichiraku's together!"

"Come on! I am paying!" Naruto added when he saw a slight bit of hesitation in Shino. For good measure he also flung his arm around Shino's neck and started dragging him, Hinata quietly following behind with a small smile on her face.

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"Heya Ayame-chan! Lookee here, I brought friends!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs as he ducked underneath the curtain to enter the stand proper – Shino's head still secure in his grip.

"NARUTO! Let the poor boy breathe!" Ayame shouted in shock as she took in the two boys in front of her. She also noticed the lavender-haired girl slip in behind the two with quiet steps.

"I am guessing you two are this nutcase's teammates" Ayame said with a warm smile, while ignoring the outraged "Hey!" from said nutcase. "He can be a bit much sometimes … scratch _that!_ Most of the time" Ayame amended.

"Agreed" Shino said in a sullen voice while rubbing his neck. "He _is_ a little excitable" Hinata agreed with a soft giggle.

"Hinata, you too?!" Naruto asked with a slightly betrayed look "What is this? Pick on Naruto day?"

"You put me in a headlock and dragged me in here" Shino deadpanned.

"But that was for your own good! Now you two get to have ramen!" Naruto passionately defended his actions.

Ayame was smiling widely at the interaction between the three. 'It's good to see him making friends his own age. He looks happy.' While she was genuinely happy for Naruto, a small part of her mind was telling her that he would forget her now that he had friends of his own. Shaking herself out of it she quickly supplied the team with ramen.

Naruto and team spent most of the time discussing all sorts of stuff, from training to the academy to the village – even Hinata had contributed to the conversation, of her own volition, a few times. Kami knew Naruto did enough talking for the both of them.

A little later they were finished with the meal and Naruto bid the other two goodbye; but made no move to leave the stand "Go on guys. I will see ya day after tomorrow then." The other two said their farewells and were on their way.

"They seem nice" Ayame commented once Hinata and Shino left. "Oh, they are" Naruto agreed enthusiastically.

"Hinata-chan is pretty cute too … Have you asked her out yet? I bet she would say yes in a heartbeat" Ayame asked with a teasing smile.

Naruto was taken aback at that and spluttered "What?! Hinata … what?!" quickly recovering from his fit, he countered "How could you even say that?! Ayame-hime is the only one for me!"

'Dammit he does this every single time! Just when I think I got him; he turns the tables back on me!' Ayame thought frustratedly as she felt blood rush to her cheeks. Despite herself, she felt inordinately pleased with his words although she tried her level best not to show it. "Cheeky brat! You won't ever change, will you?"

"Only if it is my Ayame-hime's wish!" Naruto said in an over-the-top dramatic voice.

"Yea … now you are just asking for a beat down" Ayame said flatly as she fingered a ladle menacingly.

"You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" Naruto asked trying his best to produce some classic puppy dog eyes.

"Keep that up and you will find out" Ayame said with a sweet smile, ladle still in hand.

"Okay, I give up" Naruto said with a laugh. "Honestly, you're too much!" Ayame said as she reached out a hand to ruffle Naruto's hair.

"How have your missions been going? Still running around doing chores?" Ayame asked with a grin. Naruto's endless complaints about his D-Rank missions never failed to be funny. Her grin slipped from her face pretty quickly when she saw Naruto's expression drop. She came out from behind the counter and took a seat next to him again before asking with slight worry in her voice "You alright? Did something happen?"

"Well I got back from my first C-Rank mission just about a week ago. It was a … rough one." Naruto said by way of explanation.

"Were you hurt?!" Ayame exclaimed in shock as she started looking over Naruto worriedly.

"Hey, hey calm down! No none of us even got a scratch. We were sent to apprehend some bandits but the situation … _changed_ " Naruto sighed. "We had to take more permanent measures …" Naruto trailed off not wanting to give her the grisly details.

Ayame gasped out loud at that. 'The poor guy! Ninjas lead such hard lives; but for someone as young as him to take a life! I can't even imagine what he must be feeling!' she thought even as she guessed that there was even more to the story that Naruto wasn't telling her.

"Oh you!" Ayame leaned forward and wrapped Naruto in a hug. She could feel him relax almost immediately. 'Damn this is nice! I should have come here immediately after the mission' Naruto half-heartedly joked to himself as he returned Ayame's hug. After a few moments the two let each other go.

Just as Ayame was about to speak, Naruto hurriedly spoke up first and cut her off "Don't worry, I am not shutting myself away. I have been spending time with friends. And I am sorry I didn't come to you earlier." Ayame was taken aback as Naruto answered each of the questions she was about to ask before she could ask them. "Well as long as you realise that; it's fine, I guess" Ayame said with a slight sniff.

"Hey don't be like that Ayame-chan! Tell ya what … I have got another C-Rank mission coming up the day after tomorrow" Naruto began and Ayame narrowed her eyes at him. She had a vague idea where this was headed. "If you wish me _luck -"_ Naruto waggled his eyebrows "- this mission will go smoothly" he ended with a mischievous grin. 'There it is!' Ayame thought and an exasperated laugh escaped her.

Ayame just decided to go for it. "Don't ever change Naruto" Ayame said softly as she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. Naruto didn't know what came over him at the moment but he turned his head at the last second and Ayame's kiss landed on his lips. Ayame's hitherto closed eyes flared open in shock the moment her lips made contact with Naruto's. It took her a moment to realise what was going on before she pulled back hastily. She went red in the face out of embarrassment – she enjoyed it way too much – the feeling was soon tinged with a little annoyance when she saw the bright red but grinning face of Naruto. Naruto looked way too pleased – 'Time to change that I think' Ayame thought to herself as she reached for the ladle she had left on the counter. Naruto did not miss the movement.

"Hey come now, do you want to ruin this beautiful moment between us by being violent, Ayame-hime?" Naruto asked nervously as he started leaning back.

"YES!" Ayame shouted out as her hand closed around the handle of the ladle.

"I learnt this new trick today but never expected to use it this soon. Thank god for shunshin and sensei" Naruto rattled off quickly.

"Stay right there" Ayame growled at him.

"No can do. Love you Ayame-chan! Byeeeee!" with those words Naruto vanished in a swirl of leaves and laughter.

"NARUTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


	20. Even While You Sleep

"W-Why?!" Hinata coughed up blood and Naruto could only stare in horror, unable to move a muscle, his hand still on the hilt of the sword sticking out of Hinata's chest – the sword he himself drove in.

"I – I d-don't understand! … HINATA! Please don't die!" Naruto lunged forward and caught Hinata in his arms as she began to fall. "W-Why? We were … f-f-friends …" Hinata was fading fast.

"HINATA! NOOOOO!" Kurenai's horrified voice rang out from behind Naruto at that exact moment. Naruto turned around in shock "Sensei, I -"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?! TRAITOR!" Kurenai screamed in shock and rage as she saw Naruto pull out his sword from the chest of the girl she had come to see as her own sister. Naruto recoiled at the accusation and hate in Kurenai's voice. "Sensei, I can explain! I am -"

"I always knew that you were one! Still, against my better judgement, I gave you a chance! _THIS_ is how you repay it?!" Kurenai flicked her eyes towards Hinata's body before continuing in the same venomous tone. "She paid the price for my foolishness! I will not let her go unavenged!" With those words, Kurenai leapt at Naruto with her Kunai drawn.

Hastily bringing up his sword, Naruto managed to deflect the kunai from its path – and Kurenai with it. "Sensei PLEASE! Give me a chance to explain!" Naruto pleaded as he dodged and deflected another three blows from the enraged jonin.

"There is NOTHING to explain! I SAW you!" Kurenai screamed at Naruto before renewing her attack.

Things came to a head when Kurenai pulled an unorthodox feint and almost took Naruto's eye out. Naruto's close shave triggered some deep-rooted reflexes in him and the next lethal blow that Kurenai directed towards him ended the fight.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto had used the hilt of his sword on the elbow of Kurenai's attacking arm and used his off-hand to redirect the kunai back towards Kurenai – stabbing her in the side of her neck.

Kurenai staggered back in shock and dropped to the ground before Naruto's horrified eyes. "S-stay away … gh!" Kurenai had already begun choking on her own blood. "M-gh-Mon-Monster … Curse you … No red-emption … Kill yourself!" Kurenai took one last shuddering breath before going limp. She was dead.

Naruto's mind went blank and snapped at the overwhelming sense of despair that pervaded his entire being in that instant. "What is the point?" he wondered out loud. "I can't protect my friends … Hell, I killed them myself! Did a pretty good job of it too!" Naruto let out an insane laugh at that.

"I am … tired. I can't keep doing this … Maybe she is right … I would like to sleep … Yes … sleep sounds good" Naruto raised the Kunai to his throat. "Sleep sounds really good" Naruto pushed the kunai into his throat and the world went black.

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**Three days earlier**

It was early morning and Team Kurenai arrived at the office for mission assignment located on the ground floor of the Hokage tower. Each member seemed to be in high spirits even if an air of slight uneasiness pervaded over the lot. All of them were praying, on some level at least, that their second C-Rank went better than their harrowing first one.

"Ah, Kurenai-san! Good Morning! Hokage-sama wanted you and your team to report directly to him. He has a special assignment for you." The overly enthusiastic chunin spoke to Kurenai the moment she approached her desk. Kurenai simply nodded and motioned to her team to follow and headed towards the stairs. "What could it be this time? The old man called us in himself!" Naruto wondered aloud. "I just hope it's not another bandit camp" Hinata spoke up a bit worriedly. Shino simply shrugged. "We will find out in a minute" Kurenai muttered.

As they were walking through the corridors, Naruto noted with amusement how most of the male ninjas – and some of the female ones – would immediately stand up straighter and try to look more impressive as Kurenai passed them by. "Sensei, you have quite a few admirers" Naruto spoke just loud enough that only Kurenai and the team could hear him. Hinata hid a small smile at his words 'Sensei _is_ beautiful.' Shino gave no indication that he heard Naruto's words. Kurenai simply waved him off with a small blush gracing her features. "Oh! The perils of being an absolute babe!" Naruto kept up his teasing with a silly smile.

"NARUTO! Are you trying to hit on your sensei?" Kurenai asked with a laugh hoping that her response would cause Naruto to shut up in embarrassment. 'I should have known better' Kurenai thought exasperatedly as she saw the smile on Naruto's face double in size.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it _sensei!_ … It is a certain lazy monkey's job after all!" Kurenai almost faltered in her steps at that. Blushing furiously, Kurenai asked in a frantic whisper while looking around to make sure that no one else heard them "What?! How did you -?! Did _he_ tell you?!"

"Nope. You did!" Naruto's smile turned even more smug. "I always had a suspicion. Thanks for confirming it!"

Kurenai face-palmed hard at that. 'I can't believe I fell for that!'. "Naruto -" Kurenai began warningly and Naruto intercepted her. "Sensei, my lips are sealed. You do you. Who am I to stand in the way of young love?" Naruto asked the last part in a comically wise voice. Kurenai could only gape at him.

While this exchange was going on, Hinata and Shino were listening in intently. "Congratulations Sensei. Asuma-san is a very nice man. I am so glad for you two" Hinata said with a happy smile.

"Wait Hinata. It's not like that -" Kurenai hurried to shush the girl when Shino spoke up.

"Interesting. I don't know him well but he seems pleasant and he is a jounin of great renown." Shino added his two ryo's worth to the conversation and fell silent.

"Shino – not you too! This is not the time or the place guys!" Kurenai spoke in a furious whisper, absolutely flustered by now.

All this while, Naruto was just sitting back and enjoying the show. Kurenai could sense the smug amusement just rolling off her blonde student and whirled around to face him. " _Naruto!_ I will deal with you after the mission!" When she saw there was absolutely no change in the menace's expression, she added something in the hopes that it would bring down Naruto a little. "I think Yugao should train you more" Kurenai said in a fake thoughtful voice and to her great pleasure Naruto's smile dropped abruptly. Before the banter could proceed further, Kurenai and company found themselves in front of the Hokage's reception desk.

"Team 8 reporting. Hokage-sama is expecting us." Kurenai spoke to the new assistant, now fully professional and all traces of humour gone from her voice. The assistant looked at the ledger on her desk before waving them onwards. 'Interesting. Seems Mika is assistant no more.'

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"Ah, Kurenai! Thank you for coming in so quickly" the Hokage began before Kurenai could even greet him. "And you three … How are you doing?" the Hokage asked the genin in a kind voice.

"I am well Hokage-sama. Thank you for inquiring." Shino replied in his formal tone. Naruto rolled his eyes at him and just thanked his stars that Shino didn't pull the formal crap with him anymore.

"I am doing well fine as well. Thank you for asking Hokage-sama." Hinata replied respectfully.

"Tip-top gramps! Tip-top!" Naruto replied with a smirk. Kurenai's brow started to twitch a little 'I don't think I will ever get used to this.'

The Hokage simply shook his head with a fond smile at Naruto's reply. "Well, I am glad to hear you are all doing well." The old man changed into a much more serious tone and presented a scroll to Kurenai "I have a mission that I want you, Kurenai, to handle personally."

"Hai Hokage-sama" Kurenai snapped to attention and rolled the scroll open. 'Hmm the Uehara family – renowned horse breeders … what's this? Thievery _and_ Haunting?' Looking up from the scroll and passing it to Hinata she asked "Why us?"

"Well, if it's thieves, I do believe that your team of tracking specialists will come in handy. These hauntings could be the work of a -" "A genjutsu!" Kurenai finished for the Hokage.

"The finer details are in there" the Hokage nodded towards the scroll. "Head out as soon as possible. These are important clients and quite close to the Daimyo and I promised them our best genjutsu expert at the earliest" the Hokage finished with a smile.

"Hai Hokage-sama. We will not let you down" Kurenai promptly shunshined away and to the Hokage's surprise, so did the rest of Team 8 a moment later.

'Well at least she is teaching her team something … unlike my lazy son … I should pay him a visit' the Hokage thought to himself while puffing on his pipe. He was about to call in his assistant to clear his afternoon schedule when she came in of her own – with a huge stack of paperwork in her arms.

The venerable Sandaime Hokage's scream of rage and anguish could be heard across the village.

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"So whaddya think it could be? I bet it's a bunch of missing-nin criminals casting genjutsu and stealing the horses" Naruto spoke up as the team hit the road.

"It does seem that way given what we know" Shino agreed with Naruto. Hinata nodded in agreement.

"While that is what it seems like and … most probably is the case, it is never a good idea to go into an investigation with closed minds. Gather facts and then form your opinions, not the other way round guys." Kurenai instructed. Naruto and team nodded at the advice and kept moving.

"So … do any of you particularly like horses?" Naruto asked feeling bored already. At the question a _glint_ came into both Kurenai and Hinata's eyes. Shino unfortunately chose that moment to say "No. They are horrible creatures. They smell and for some reason seem to dislike kikaichu hives." The twin glares from both Kurenai and the usually mild Hinata shut him up pretty quickly.

"I absolutely love horses," Kurenai said and directed another dirty look at Shino before continuing "there is something just so majestic and free about them!". Hinata emphatically nodded along and gave Shino a slightly reproachful look. The two males on the team exchanged a glance between themselves and silently swore to never badmouth a horse in front of a woman ever again.

The rest of the journey went without a hitch and after camping for the night they arrived at the Uehara estate the next morning.

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The Uehara estate was a thing of beauty. Lush green fields as far as the eye could see, imposing manor and absolutely gigantic stables completed the picture. As the team walked up the path, they were promptly greeted by a servant who very respectfully led them through the property. Even as they were walking up, the team couldn't help but notice the strange behaviour of the people around them. All the servants and the occasional family member they could see were walking around tiredly and looked like death warmed over. Each and every person in the vicinity was twitchy and kept looking over their shoulders as if expecting an attack at any moment. The servant leading them tried his best to maintain a professional façade but it was clear that he was on the verge of a breakdown. The team members exchanged worried glances amongst themselves and quietly followed their guide.

Ten minutes later the entourage stood in front of the imposing doors of the family manor. The manor was grand in scope and design and spoke of affluence in every inch of its construction. Even so, for all its beauty and grandeur, there hung a pall of gloom and foreboding that sent a chill up the spines of each member of the team. The very air seemed _oily_ ; as if the negativity pervading the place had taken physical shape and was tinging the edges of their vision with wisps of black miasma. Hinata had engaged her Byakugan out of pure instinct and even the ability to see everything didn't comfort her any – she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that _she_ couldn't see. Shino's kikaichu were buzzing in agitation – he could literally feel it in his bones. Kurenai and Naruto were doing better, but not by much.

After passing a few more harrowed-looking people in the hallways, they finally reached the study of their client – Sadao Uehara, the head of the Uehara family. The study was large and airy with tastefully appointed decorations; it spoke of class and stature without being obnoxious. The only other occupant in the room was a tall, well-built man with striking features who exuded an aura of authority – even if he looked exhausted and sleep deprived like every other person they had come across, so far.

"Ah, Come in! Come in! Welcome to you, my friends from the Leaf!" Sadao spoke warmly from his place from behind his desk – the tone was forced and belied his exhaustion even if the relief and warmth in his voice was genuine. Kurenai respectfully returned the greeting and immediately launched into the discussion regarding the mission.

"Uehara-sama what can you tell us about the situation?"

"Well … I don't think I quite know where to begin …" Sadao started and trailed off, seemingly forgetting Kurenai's presence and lost in his thoughts.

'Kami! Just how bad is it?' "Uehara-sama, the beginning would be nice" Kurenai gently prompted.

Sadao started at Kurenai's voice and snapped out of his daze before responding "Ah! The beginning! Yes … yes – just as good a place to start as any …" He took another moment to compose himself before continuing. "I suppose it began two weeks ago. The first indication we had that something was wrong was when we missed two horses from our daily headcounts. Initially we thought some stable hand had neglected to tether them properly and they had got loose. We searched high and low but found no sign of them – no broken fences, no tracks … nothing. So, I suspected thieves – both internal and external – and posted guards in the stables and fields." Here, for the first time a chink in Sadao's relatively composed exposure appeared and he started sweating. "That was the night that _it_ began!" Sadao's eyes took on a crazed look and he spoke in a voice that had the team sitting up in concern. The man now seemed openly terrified and had given up all appearances. The team exchanged yet another set of worried glances amongst themselves.

"Uehara-sama, please focus. Tell us so that we can help!" Kurenai pleaded.

"Help? … Yes … help" Sadao muttered to himself before pulling himself together. With embarrassment clear on his features he addressed Kurenai again "Forgive me … the past few weeks have been quite trying … Now, where was I? … Yes … That night," a violent shudder passed through his body "was when the haunting started. The guards went missing, no sign of them whatsoever – we searched," Sadao shook his head mournfully "Good men, those … There were a couple of horses missing again. It has been the same since that night. It happens every other night or so … it happened again last night." Sadao heaved out a mighty sigh that spoke volumes about his current state and tiredly rubbed his face.

"Uehara-sama … I think I have a handle on the disappearances but please explain what you mean by hauntings. Please describe them as well as you can."

"It is horrible … anytime people fall asleep, they are plagued by visions and nightmares … they feel so _real!_ … I don't know what is happening anymore … Most are blaming a spirit or a curse … Half of my staff have left. I don't know what to do anymore"

Seeing Sadao's steadily worsening condition, Kurenai decided to put the interview on hold. "Uehara-sama, I think we have the basic outline of the situation. We will speak to the other residents of the estate and come back to you later … By your leave" Kurenai said and got up, her team following suit.

"Deliver us! … Save us from this evil Kurenai-san! I am begging you!" Sadao's desperate voice rang out from behind them.

"Leave it to us. We will end this even if it is the last thing we do." Kurenai promised the desperate man before leaving.

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"Well, that wasn't very helpful. He didn't say much beyond what was in the scroll" Naruto said with a slight pout.

"Could it be a rival stealing the horses?" Hinata asked.

"Unlikely. Why would a rival keep coming back and steal a couple horses at a time? If a rival hired nuke-nin to cast genjutsu, wouldn't it be just as easy to slaughter all the people here? Why would they drag it out?" Kurenai returned.

"If we are to go by what Uehara-sama said then should we not expect an attack today?" Shino asked.

"No, he also said there is no fixed schedule. We are going on full alert. Shino spread out your kikaichu over the grounds. Hinata I want periodic sweeps with your Byakugan. Naruto pay attention to your senses at all times" Kurenai issued her orders and received crisp nods of acknowledgement. "In the meantime, Iet's go interview the other residents."

"This is pointless!" Kurenai ground out in frustration. "All of them are too scared out of their minds to be of any use to us. It's the same story each time. Nightmares and missing horses – and sometimes people. No fixed time-table either. Sometimes the attacks happen back to back and sometimes the interval is two days. No one has seen anything that can be useful to us" Kurenai summarised for the benefit of the team – Shino had been out spreading his kikaichu.

"What do we do now?" Shino asked.

"We will search the grounds for any signs they missed. As much as I hate to say this, we will have to face the attackers head on when they next make their attempt" Kurenai said with a groan.

"Yosh! We will be ready for them." Naruto said with a confident smile.

"I hope that we are Naruto … I hope that we are." Kurenai spoke and led the team outside.

The search of the grounds was equally fruitless. There were so many tracks all over the place that it was impossible to make any sense of it. Hinata's Byakugan revealed no breaches in the fence. Soon they were at the stables form which the horses had disappeared the previous night.

"There are no signs of struggle and … wait a minute" Kurenai's eyes landed on the saddles hanging on the walls. "Are any of the saddles missing?" she asked the stable-hand that accompanied them. "N-no. They are all here" the young boy replied, very obviously nervous about being in the presence of Shinobi.

"That means that the horses were led out as opposed to ridden. Now, what does that mean?" Kurenai asked the team.

"It was a small group. Could be as few as two or maybe even one." Naruto replied thoughtfully.

"That means that whoever we are up against is powerful. Powerful enough to cast a genjutsu over such a huge area and skilful enough to remain unseen." Shino commented.

"But why keep coming back?" Hinata muttered aloud as she looked around the place with her Byakugan. "No blood. No signs of forced entry. What else should I be looking for?"

"Anything that doesn't belong" Kurenai replied.

After more searching that revealed nothing, the team headed back to the manor where they were greeted by Sadao once again. "Did you find anything?" Sadao asked with an openly hopeful expression on his face.

"I am sorry, we didn't" Kurenai admitted freely and Sadao's face instantly fell. "Neither did we after two weeks of searching; but I had hoped that shinobi would succeed where we failed … What happens now?" Sadao asked dejectedly.

"Now we wait. We catch them in action and we put an end to it." Kurenai said matter-of-factly.

"I hope you succeed because I don't know what I will do if you don't" Sadao said before turning and leaving.

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Night fell and the estate descended into a fearful silence. The children were all huddled together in the main hall trying to seek comfort in each other's presence and that of the adults. As the night progressed, people kept dozing off only to wake up with a start and sigh in relief when they realised, they were not victims of the nightly terrors – yet.

While this was happening, Hinata and Kurenai were situated on the roof of the second floor – where Hinata had a very good view of the stables. Shino was in the room behind Kurenai and seated in a meditative pose – he was listening to his kikaichu. Naruto on the other hand, was in the main hall where all of the residents of the manor had gathered, hidden from sight and fully focused on his senses.

The vigil continued late into the night and after seemingly interminable hours the situation changed when Hinata picked up movement near the stables. "Sensei! Two people near the stables!" Hinata relayed what she saw to Kurenai.

"Let's go … Naruto will follow" Kurenai said and launched off the roof with Hinata. Naruto had sensed their departure and immediately created ten shadow clones to guard the room and followed after them.

"What the fuck are you two doing here?!" Naruto screamed out in annoyance when he found the two people he had sensed. 'Dammit! Here I thought these idiots were supressing their chakra! – Fucking stable-hands!'

"Well?" Kurenai demanded of the the two cowering servants. "I believe it was made fully clear to everyone that they were supposed to stay indoors tonight. Explain your presence. Now!"

The first one, a young man in his late teens, scrounged up some courage and spoke defiantly "My father was taken by those monsters. I am n-not going to sit back and let his death go unavenged!"

"Avenge him? With what? That stick? Listen here you idiot -" Naruto began hotly.

"Naruto! That's enough … Head back" Kurenai turned to the two in front of her. "As for you two – do you realise what kind of risk you put yourself and potentially the rest of us in?"

The two servants had the decency to flush and look down at that. "We have to do something -"

"Yes. You do." On receiving their expectant looks, Kurenai wasted no time in dashing their hopes. "You have to stay safe and let us handle it. Now get back!"

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The two would-be avengers got the tongue lashing of their lives from Sadao and were confined to the manor even during the day-time. Turning from the retreating backs of the two, Sadao turned to Kurenai. "Thank you for getting those two Kurenai-san. They are good boys but Takashi-kun has never been the same since it all started. His father was amongst the first guards to have disappeared."

"Please don't mention it. It is our duty to protect you and yours."

"So … no attack last night. That means it's a certainty that tonight is the night." Sadao warned Kurenai and walked off.

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The second night at the Uehara estate felt like the first one - only a hundred times worse. The other residents had come to the same conclusion as Sadao and the fear levels were reaching manic proportions. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. The team followed the same plan as the previous night, the only difference was the platoon of hundred shadow clones patrolling the grounds and manor.

It was past midnight when the first signs of excitement appeared – in the form of Naruto's clones popping out of existence. Naruto, who had started dozing off out of boredom, woke up with a start as the memories of the clones settled in his mind. 'What the hell was that?! They went down in a flash! I couldn't even see it!' Deciding to regroup with Kurenai, he headed upstairs after creating another batch of clones. Naruto was halfway up the stairs when he felt an unfamiliar chakra signature 'Where the hell did that come from?! It's strong too!'

Sprinting up the stairs, he reached the landing of the first floor and had to immediately drop to the ground as a kick passed where his head was a moment ago. Rolling away, he got up to come face to face with a masked individual a bit taller than himself. "Hmpf! This is the great reinforcement that the horse breeder got … he shouldn't have bothered." The mystery intruder spoke in an absolutely contemptuous voice.

"Who the fuck are you?" Naruto growled at the newcomer. 'I couldn't sense his arrival. He just appeared. Are the others all right?' Naruto thought worriedly.

"Your death" was the simple reply. The masked man immediately burst into motion and started peppering Naruto with blows. It was only Naruto's preternatural reflexes and regular practice with Yugao that enabled him to fend off the deluge of incoming attacks. After a particularly close shave, Naruto leapt back and drew his sword.

"Stand down and surrender! This is your last chance! I don't want to kill you but I won't mind it terribly either" Naruto warned as he got into an Uzushio stance.

"It's a shame because I very much want to kill _you_ " the man spoke before drawing a kunai and lunging at Naruto. The resultant exchange was furiously paced but even so Naruto found himself gaining the upper hand. Dodging a strike that could have taken his head off, Naruto wasted no time in slipping under his adversary's guard and with his back to the man, executed a flawless backwards thrust and slammed his chokuto into the man's chest, all the way up to the hilt.

"Not talkin' so big now, are we? My death indeed! … Go on … cat got your tongue?" Naruto taunted the dying man, not even looking behind him.

"W-Why?!" Naruto froze at those words and felt his body go cold. The voice belonged to … Hinata.

'What – What?!' Naruto blinked in confusion at the voice and turned around in shock. Where stood a masked man a moment ago, now stood Hinata with a blade through her chest – his blade.

"Why?!" Hinata coughed up blood and Naruto could only stare in horror, unable to move a muscle, his hand still on the hilt of the sword sticking out of Hinata's chest.

"I – I d-don't understand! … HINATA! Please don't die!" Naruto lunged forward and caught Hinata in his arms as she began to fall. "W-Why? We were … f-f-friends …" Hinata gasped out with hurt and betrayal in her eyes. Naruto could only stare mutely in shock and terror – Hinata was fading fast.

'What the hell is happening?! One moment I am fighting this guy – GENJUTSU!' Naruto screamed out in his own mind as the realisation struck him. Shutting his eyes in concentration and trying his best to ignore what he hoped was the illusion of his dying friend, he called on Kyuubi's chakra and screamed out "GENJUTSU KAI!"

Nothing changed.

With a sinking feeling in the pits of his stomach, Naruto opened his eyes and immediately broke down in tears when he saw Hinata's lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. Confused, terrified and heartbroken, Naruto mutely cradled the body of his friend and sat there for what seemed like forever. It was a while before his mind started working again as he tried to make sense of the happenings. He was certain that it was not Hinata he was fighting. It was not a genjutsu … Kyuubi's chakra should have put paid to that. Then how was it possible? An advanced switching technique? He tried using his sensory ability but found it impossible to focus with Hinata's rapidly cooling body in his arms. After a while, the rage started filtering in. 'The bastard will PAY!' Furiously rubbing the tears from his eyes, he reached for the hilt of his sword and pulled it out of Hinata's body as gently as he could.

"HINATA! NOOOOO!" Kurenai's horrified voice rang out from behind Naruto at that exact moment. Naruto turned around in shock "Sensei, I -"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?! TRAITOR!" Kurenai screamed in shock and rage as she saw Naruto pull out his sword from the chest of the girl she had come to see as her own sister. Naruto recoiled at the accusation and hate in Kurenai's voice. "Sensei, I can explain! I am -"

"A MONSTER!" Kurenai cut Naruto off with tears of grief and rage in her eyes. "I always knew that you were one! Still, against my better judgement, I gave you a chance! _THIS_ is how you repay it?!" Kurenai flicked her eyes towards Hinata's body before continuing in the same venomous tone. "She paid the price for my foolishness! I will not let her go unavenged!" With those words Kurenai leapt at Naruto with her Kunai drawn.

Naruto had frozen like a statue at Kurenai's words. He knew how much Kurenai loved Hinata and he could understand her extreme reaction to her … murder. 'Hell, I _did_ murder her.' Even with all that, Kurenai not willing to give him a chance to explain himself _hurt._ He had to push all of his hurt and grief to the side as Kurenai's kunai approached his eye.

Hastily bringing up his sword, Naruto managed to deflect the kunai from its path – and Kurenai with it. "Sensei PLEASE! Give me a chance to explain!" Naruto pleaded as he dodged and deflected another three blows from the enraged jonin.

"There is NOTHING to explain! I SAW you!" Kurenai screamed at Naruto before renewing her attack. "Others warned me! Repeatedly!" Slash. "But no!" Jab. "I had to go and give you a chance!" Slash.

"Sensei! It was a genjutsu!" Naruto pleaded as he tried his best to not hurt Kurenai. Kurenai, on her part, was cursing her own shortcomings in the more physical ninja arts. 'The bastard is genjutsu proof and better than me at this!' "LIAR! Genjutsu doesn't affect you!" Kurenai returned with fury as Naruto leapt over her strike and landed behind her.

"This one was different! Sensei please!" Naruto begged yet again. 'The situation is getting out of hand!'

"NO MORE LIES! You die now! Abomination!" Kurenai launched into a wild charge that took Naruto by surprise. Kurenai, for all her inexperience with taijutsu or kenjutsu, was still a jonin and had more overall experience in fighting than Naruto. Naruto was discovering that fact for himself, the hard way. He had made up his mind to knock Kurenai out and explain the situation once she was subdued. It was becoming clearer with each passing second that there was no way in hell he could take Kurenai out without hurting her badly. Kurenai might not have been skilled at Taijutsu or Kenjutsu or even ninjutsu but daggers? Daggers she knew well. After all, one didn't train with Asuma Sarutobi without picking up at least some of his skill.

The stalemate continued for a while longer. Things came to a head when Kurenai pulled an unorthodox feint and almost took Naruto's eye out. Naruto's close call triggered some deep-rooted reflexes in him and the next lethal blow that Kurenai directed towards him ended the fight.

Naruto saw Kurenai come for his throat and reacted purely on instinct and muscle memory. The conscious part of his mind was screaming in terror as it recognised the move he was executing but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, Naruto had used the hilt of his sword on the elbow of Kurenai's attacking arm and used his off hand to redirect the kunai back towards Kurenai – stabbing her in the side of her neck with it.

Kurenai staggered back in shock and dropped to the ground before Naruto's horrified eyes. Naruto immediately rushed forward to try and stem the bleeding but stopped when Kurenai swung her arm at him with the last of her flagging strength. "S-stay away … gh!" Kurenai had already begun choking on her own blood but even so, her hate filled glare hadn't diminished even a bit. "Sensei let me -" Naruto tried to approach her again. "You … ruin … what … touch" Kurenai gasped out, unable to form her words properly. "M-gh-Mon-Monster … Curse you … No red-emption … Kill yourself!" Kurenai took one last shuddering breath before going limp. She was dead.

Naruto's mind went blank and snapped at the overwhelming sense of despair that pervaded his entire being in that instant. In the span of a few minutes he had killed both his friend and his sensei. 'She is right. I am an abomination. There is no hope for me … Never was.' Naruto's eyes landed on the kunai that had fallen to the side and without thinking he picked it up. "What is the point?" he wondered out loud. "I can't protect my friends … Hell, I killed them myself! Did a pretty good job of it too!" Naruto let out an insane laugh at that.

"I am … tired. I can't keep doing this … Maybe she is right … I would like to sleep … Yes … sleep sounds good" Naruto raised the Kunai to his throat. "Sleep sounds really good" Naruto pushed the kunai into his throat and the world went black.

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**Present time**

Sleep was supposed to be peaceful. Sleep was supposed to make the pain go away. Sleep was supposed to make it _all_ go away. Then why did he still _feel?_ 'I just want to rest' Naruto thought tiredly.

After a moment, he realised that he didn't feel the pain from the kunai. Blinking his eyes open in confusion, Naruto realised he was completely frozen in place and the kunai hung suspended an inch from his throat - unmoving despite his best efforts. Slowly he became aware of a pair of slender arms reaching out from behind him and gently trapping his arms in place. 'Wait – What?' Unable to move a single muscle, he could only see a curtain of the loveliest red out of the corner of his eye. The red smelt warm and felt like – _home_.

 _"You brave, brave boy!"_ a musical voice emerged from a set of lips right next to his ear. 'W-what is happening? Who – What is this?!' _"You know me Naruto. You have always known me. And when the time is right, you will know me again."_

For some reason Naruto felt himself relax at the sound of the voice – more than he ever had in his whole life. Still unable to move, Naruto asked "WHO ARE YOU?". _"I am sorry Naruto. We don't have time for that. Believe me when I say, there is nothing I wouldn't give for a chance to simply talk to you!"_ the voice sounded heartbroken and for some reason it made Naruto tear up. He didn't know why, but the sadness in the stranger's voice felt like a kick in his guts.

 _"I want to stay but I don't have much time. I was not supposed to meet you until much later."_ The voice spoke with a sense of urgency.

 _"You have been through so much and I am so proud of you! But for now, you have to listen to the furball!"_ the voice begged Naruto.

"What are you talking about?! Let go and let me just die! I have had enough of this bullshit!" Naruto screamed out – frustration and anger flooding back into his system.

 _"It is not your time yet – and if I have anything to say about it – it won't be your time for another two hundred years!"_ the voice screamed back, clearly pissed. For some reason Naruto felt like curling up on himself and running for cover at the tone. _"Now stop being foolish and listen for the furball's voice!"_

"What the hell are you -" **_"WAKE UP!"_** "Wait that voice is fami-" **_"FUCKING USELESS MEATBAG! WAKE UP!"_** "Hey, that's … KYUUBI!" _"It is! Go Naruto and always remember your dad and I are so, so proud of you!"_ the voice had started fading. "MOM?!" Naruto screamed in disbelief. Able to move at long last, he let the kunai slip from his grip and turned around to catch the hazy outline of a red-haired woman fade into nothingness. _"Go Naruto, don't give up! We will meet much sooner than you think! I am proud of you my baby boy! I love you!"_ Kushina's voice faded away into the ether and Naruto only stared at the spot she was in with bittersweet tears pouring from his eyes. "… Mom …"

**"WAKE UP!"**

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Naruto shot up from his prone position on the ground of the main hall, gasping for air. 'Wait! Main hall?!' Looking around in confusion, he spied things that made no sense to him 'I was upstairs where I … How did I get here?!'. All around him lay people twitching and moaning piteously; deep in the throes of their nightmares. His thoughts were interrupted by an old, familiar voice.

 **"Well, well, well, look who decided to join us!"** the Kyuubi spoke in a sarcastic voice brimming with annoyance. Despite everything that happened Naruto couldn't help but let out a whoop of joy "Kyuubi you are back!"

 **"** ** _DON'T_** **get used to it brat! What is the point of having my power if you won't utilise it properly?"** the Kyuubi asked in irritation. **"The first decent genjutsu you come across and you fold like a little bitch!"**

"W-What genjutsu?!" Naruto asked incredulously while a part of him had begun to hope. "I used your chakra to disrupt it but nothing happened!" Naruto couldn't help the accusation that slipped into his voice.

 **"You didn't disrupt shit! You always throw my chakra at problems and hope that they go away! Works well enough against humans but not so good against other Yokai huh?! You are yet to learn to use my chakra properly!"** the Kyuubi retorted.

"Wait! So, everything that happened was because of a Yokai's genjutsu?" Naruto asked, quickly catching on. "Where?" Naruto asked while spreading his senses out. The first thing he felt was the signatures of his teammates and sensei – alive and whole. That alone was almost enough to send him to his knees, sobbing in sweet relief. His relief was immediately and harshly tempered by the knowledge that something _vile_ was blocking his senses from extending beyond the walls. It felt like the very walls had come to life and were working against him.

'What the hell is wrong with the walls?!' Naruto asked Kyuubi inside his mind.

 **"It's not the walls brat! It's what's on them!"** the Kyuubi growled.

'There is nothing on them! Are you blind?!'

**"Are you stupid?! There is** **_nothing_ ** **on them?! Look closer!"**

Naruto started peering intently at the walls and for the briefest of moments saw them waver. 'Wait what was that?! … What's on the wall? What's on the wall? What's on the wall? … There is nothing but our … SHADOWS!'

 **"Well congratulations! You figured it out!"** the Kyuubi said sarcastically.

'Well? What kind of Yokai is that? How do we get it?' Naruto asked, getting progressively angrier as the horrific images of his time spent under the genjutsu started flashing in his mind.

Growling menacingly, the Kyuubi replied **"How the fuck should I know? Get something straight in that tiny head of yours! I am a Biju! NOT a filthy chakra mutate that was lucky enough to evolve and call itself a Yokai! Do you know every kind of monkey there is?! The same goes for me and Yokai brat!"**

'Okay! Okay! I am sorry!' Naruto hastily apologised in his mind. While the entire exchange was taking place, a familiar itch had started up behind his eyes. Naruto allowed his chakra to flow to his eyes and engaged his 'Demon Vision' – the same ability he used to see Kiba's Inugami mark. Immediately the world around him took on a greyish hue and he could see a large, roiling mass of seemingly-alive shadows on the walls and all around him. There were wispy tendrils of shadow that connected the people all around him to the shadows. The sick pulsating movements of the tendrils made it look like the shadows were _sucking_ the life out of them. 'Is that the Yokai?! How do I attack it?!'

 **"What now brat?"** the Kyuubi asked.

'Secure my team first and then focus on the shadow. I can't let them suffer like I did. Besides, Hinata's byakugan might help.' Naruto replied.

Ignoring the Kyuubi's grumbling, Naruto warily made his way up the stairs to where his team was, while keeping a paranoid eye on the shadows surrounding him. He flew through the corridor and reached the door to the room his team was in. Looking around carefully, he quietly slid the door open and recoiled in horror at the sight before him.

Standing in front of him was Doza and in his hand was a chain that was attached to a badly beaten girl that looked a lot like … "AYAME! NO!"

**"BRAT! SNAP OUT OF IT!**

"THAT IS FUCKING ENOUGH! I HAVE HAD IT!"

Naruto exploded in a blaze of red-orange chakra and a dozen chains of the same colour started pouring out of his back. The newest illusion of a bloody and beaten Ayame simply shattered and faded in an instant. "Where is it?" Naruto growled in a low voice.

**"Bad news brat. It's everywhere. It isn't in the shadow. It** **_is_ ** **the shadow."**

"Doesn't matter" Naruto's chains shot out in every direction and lodged into the walls and every shadowy surface in sight. Channelling even more of Kyuubi's chakra through the chains, Naruto _pulled._ Bits and pieces of the shadow started coming off of the wall like a layer of slime and clung to the hooked ends of the chakra chains. A horrifying screech that jarred Naruto's very soul, rang out the moment he pulled the shadow off the wall. **"I think you got its attention."**

An instant later, Naruto felt like the entire building had come alive and was staring at him. As if to reinforce that notion, a multitude of eyes started forming in the shadows and started swivelling about in every direction before settling on him. **_"YOUUUU!"_**

Naruto had seen some freaky shit in his life - Yuki, her forest, her _games_ , the giant fucking fox in his head. But this – this took the cake. Even with Kurama's awesome power and his chains, Naruto was thoroughly disturbed by the multitude of bloodshot eyes on the _fucking walls_ staring down at him. **_"YOUUUU!"_** "Yep. Sounds about what I expected."

 ** _"You will pay for that! Filthy Human!_** **"** the horrific screeching voice sounded from every direction. An instant later thick tentacles of shadow rushed towards Naruto and he immediately dodged and leapt through the doorway – back into the corridor. **_"STAY. STILL!"_**

Naruto kept dodging the shadows, occasionally using his chains to tear chunks out of it. The pattern continued as he rushed through the corridor and finally reached the hall on the first floor. The hall didn't provide the same advantage to the shadows as a tightly packed corridor did. As a result, the intensity of the attacks tapered off.

"Before I end your existence, I want to know _exactly_ what you are" Naruto spoke in calm voice to the mass of shadows that had bunched over him on the ceiling. There was no response for a few moments and then, a huge inky-black glob dropped from the ceiling with a disgusting squelching sound. The glob, which had landed about twelve feet in front of Naruto, started twisting and churning before rising upwards and taking on a vaguely humanoid shape.

 ** _"We are the ones who devour!"_** the 'head' of the figure started moving erratically and an eerie dual tone issued from the jagged jaws. **_"We are the ones that haunt!"_** the shadowy figure started to rhythmically expand and contract while rapidly taking grotesque shapes which belonged only in the most fevered of nightmares. **_"We are the ones that HUNT!"_** With the last exclamation, the figure surged forward in a mass of shadows. Naruto realised there was no dodging this time and hoping for the best, commanded all of his chains to collapse inwards on himself and wrap around his body to form a protective cocoon.

Naruto opened his eyes within his cocoon and looked all over himself and was relieved to find no signs of injury on his body. 'Heh! That worked!' Naruto carefully unravelled his cocoon and came face to face with the stunned looking shadow. Naruto didn't know how a shadow could look stunned – especially without a face – but this one did. **_"How is this possible?!"_** the shadow took a step backwards.

"You have your tricks. I have mine" Naruto replied casually and snapped up a couple of hand-signs and intoned "Raiton: Raiju Tsuiga!" A wolf made of lightning immediately sprung from Naruto's palms and tore through the shadow. A round of agonised screeching later, the shadow sent more tendrils from its own body towards Naruto which he barely avoided. **_"You dare?! Know your place! You are merely food!"_** the shadow raged at Naruto.

 _"The fuck did you just say to me?"_ Naruto asked in a dangerously low voice. _"You came after me and my friends … you used Ayame's memory against me …"_ As Naruto's voice progressively got more and more dangerous with every word he spoke, his chains started fanning out behind him. Naruto didn't know what the hell was happening to him. He had called on the Kyuubi's chakra and was feeling pretty damn good and then the shadow's words pissed him off even more and the chakra _changed._ The blaze of chakra surrounding him started swirling and after a few moments wrapped around him like a second skin. "You wanted to devour? Fine … Eat this!" Naruto shot off like a raiton jutsu towards the shadow with his chains flailing.

The creature dissolved into the shadows on the wall to escape the onslaught of the strange boy. Never had it seen a human break out of its illusions or wield demonic powers before. This … _child_ made no sense. **_'It is time to call the other'_** The shadow rushed out of the room and made its way along the walls to get to where the _other_ was waiting. **_'We will strip the flesh from his bones! We will erase his existence! We will - !'_** All of a sudden, the shadow felt _pain –_ unlike anything it had felt before. Turning around in shock, it saw those horrible chains stabbing into the walls and halting its progress. To worsen matters, the creature felt itself being pulled out of the shadows. "I can seeee you" the child's taunt was infuriating but the creature could do nothing. "You know, I have done this only once before so forgive me if the ride gets a little bumpy!" the child spoke without a care before sending even more of those blasted chains to stab into its 'body'. The pain was excruciating but it fell to the way side to give way to panic when the creature felt a _drain_ on its chakra. **_"Impossible! What is this?! What are you?!"_**

" _I_ am the one who devours" and the world exploded in a bright flash.

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 **"NOOOO! YOU STUPID BRAT! LET GO!"** the Kyuubi started panicking the moment Naruto began draining the shadow. 'What the fuck are you on about? I am winning!' Naruto shot back in irritation. The irritation was immediately replaced with confusion and slight panic when, along with the inflow of chakra came _something_ else. **"BRAT! There are rules to these things! Break it off! Now!"** the Kyuubi demanded. "I – I can't!" Naruto replied, sweating profusely – the drain was getting heavier by the second. The chakra he could handle but he could feel the _other_ component burning and twisting his very soul. **"There is a way and it's gonna hurt! Can't say you don't deserve it though!"** the Kyuubi growled and sent a pulse of its chakra to break off the connection which resulted in a bright explosion that sent Naruto flying, only to smash into the wall behind him.

The moment the Kyuubi sent out the pulse, Naruto's chains dislodged from the shadows and started flailing about erratically. The shadow creature breathed a sigh of relief at the removal of the chains. **_'Damn him! I can't heal fast enough and I am losing strength! It's now or never!'_** the creature rushed out as fast as it could, leaking black ichor along the way.

"What happened?" Naruto groaned as he sat up from the debris of his collision with the walls. **"What happened was – the idiot that you are, you decided to play with forces beyond your understanding and almost paid the price!"** the Kyuubi sounded truly angry.

"I don't understand -"

**"My point exactly! You got cocky and tried to use a power you don't fully understand! There is a reason why Yokai feed only on defeated or significantly weaker opponents! For demons, victory or defeat means a lot more than just life and death. Victory or defeat determines a supremacy that goes beyond the physical! Only when the very soul of an opponent is crushed and truly subjugated can a Yokai feed safely. Or else, the absorbed chakra will rebel against the consumer and start tearing him apart from the inside! That shadow was far from defeated brat! A few more moments – there was a very good chance that you would have been destroyed!"**

"But with Yuki …"

**"That night was different! There was very little of your own chakra left in your system to corrupt. It was** **_only_ ** **my chakra that night. All the spider-bitch had to do was last a little longer. Your body was at its limits. You are lucky she got scared** **_of me_ ** **and capitulated. I consumed the excess chakra from her then as I consumed it now. Learn to think things through brat!"**

"Shit. I am sorry" Naruto fell in deep thought about the revelations of the night. 'I have to understand this stuff better before pulling another stunt like that' **"Yeah, no shit!"** the Kyuubi scoffed loudly.

Naruto reddened in embarrassment at that and gestured towards the doors that led to the grounds. "I suppose I should follow it …" **"Try not to kill yourself this time."** Naruto reddened even further "Give it a rest, will you! I am sorry! I got cocky! Won't happen again!" **"I will believe it when I see it … Look! Our friend was kind enough to leave a trail!"**. Surely enough, a trail of inky black ichor stained the ground and led towards the forest. "Let's go!"

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It was a moonless night and the grounds were covered in pitch-black darkness. It was only because of his night vision ability that Naruto could see where he was going. Following the trail of ichor, Naruto soon approached the edge of the property and cast his senses out as far as he could. Right there, on the very edges of his range he could pick up the shadow's signature. 'Although it feels different now – like it has become more … complete.' **"Brat be careful"** the Kyuubi had sensed the same thing as well.

The path took Naruto deeper and deeper into the forest. He could sense the shadow's signature blinking – like it was fading in and out of existence. 'What is happening?' **"Be on your guard"**

Soon, the trail led Naruto to an artificial clearing in the forest – if the area with smashed and uprooted trees could be called a clearing in the first place. The further side of the _clearing_ was bathed in a familiar mass of shadows. Naruto wasted no time in greeting the shadow and brought out four golden chains for good measure. "Well hello there! Sorry I let you get away. Won't happen this time!"

 ** _"No. It won't."_** A very different yet somehow slightly familiar voice spoke from the shadows. A pair of glowing blue eyes popped open and peered out of the darkness at Naruto. A chill went up Naruto's spine at those words and a moment later, the chill turned into a full-blown shudder when a menacing growl reached his ears. The shadows twisted and parted and a creature emerged from its depths that left Naruto gaping in shock. The first things that Naruto noticed were the fangs, closely followed by the gigantic claws. At first glance, the newcomer resembled a monstrous white bear – except Naruto didn't know of any kind of bear that grew that large. The 'bear' stood almost twelve feet tall on all fours and had strangely beautiful markings going up the length of its limbs and all over its body. There were four spiky protrusions made of a bone-like substance sticking out of its back. Naruto took in the muscular body covered in snow-white fur and slowly made his way back up to the head. The bear's face was fixed in a terrifying fang-filled snarl as it took in Naruto.

"Who are you? _"_ Naruto asked and started backing up – he did NOT like the look of those claws. 'This guy feels like the shadow … did it power up?' **"In a sense. From what I can tell,** ** _this_** **is the shadow's true form."**

 ** _"I am the one who HUNTS!"_** the bear declared and its body shifted to a humanoid bipedal form. The bear wasted no time in lunging forward with its claws extended. Naruto made a mad dash to get out of the way and it was just as well that he did – the force behind the blow was so great that the earth cracked where its fist landed and the shockwave brought down a bunch of trees in all directions. Naruto gave up all pretence and kept running around for dear life as the bear yokai went berserk. 'I have nothing that can defend against that shit!' Naruto was panicking in his head. **"Don't try to use the chains on him brat."** 'Thank you for that totally useless bit of advice!' Naruto shot back sarcastically as he dodged a trunk that was aimed at his head.

For all its strength, the bear was slow – not _slow_ slow but slow enough that Naruto could dodge it comfortably, with only a little bit of Kyuubi's power. Eventually, the bear came out of its rage state but still maintained its death glare. Naruto carefully came out from behind his cover and addressed the bear. "Who are you? … and please don't give me that haunting and hunting shit! What are you doing here? What happened to the shadow?"

The bear let out an annoyed growl before plopping down on its butt and replying. **_"Insolent human! You hurt my shadow! How do you wield demonic powers? … How dare you interrupt our hunt?!"_**

"Oi! I asked first!" Naruto protested. When it became clear that the bear wouldn't answer first, he decided to keep the conversation going and came forward only to dodge a rock half the size of his body. "HEY! What the fuck was that?!" Naruto demanded of the bear and all he got was a shrug in response **_"Didn't hurt to try!"_**

Ignoring the Kyuubi's snickering, Naruto spoke "Well, your _hunt_ was hurting our client and he hired us to take care of the problem. As for the demonic powers – I have a demon in me …" Naruto trailed off.

 ** _"Impossible! … unless … are you one of those fool humans who have demons trapped inside them?"_** the bear asked.

"Don't know about the fool part but yeah … I have the Kyuubi no Kitsune in me" Naruto said with a small hope that the bear would be intimidated by the knowledge. The laughter was unexpected.

 ** _"Oho so we were up against the legendary Kyuubi's container?!"_** the bear chuckled. **_"We had heard legends of the biju and their might … but is this the best the two of you can manage? Running around frantically like confused prey?"_** the bear taunted.

 **"THAT FILTHY MUTANT DARES?!"** the Kyuubi raged inside Naruto's mind-space and let loose a blast of power that caused Naruto's power levels to surge. Kyuubi's power washed through Naruto's body and it was all he could do to not gasp out in pain as he felt the biju chakra start to burn his coils. Naruto held on and didn't let the pain show on his face because the bear had abruptly shut up and scrambled backwards when it felt Naruto's power skyrocket.

"I am going to ask you one last time. Who are you?" Naruto spoke through gritted teeth.

The bear looked at Naruto for a few more moments before replying **_"I am the Onikuma."_**

"What happened to the shadow?"

 ** _"He is my shadow. We are two halves of one being. He simply returned to me … after you hurt him"_** the demon bear replied warily. Naruto could feel the shadow's eyes opening up, all around their position. Pulling up even more chains around him in a defensive pattern when the shadows started whispering all around him, he continued with his questions.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

**_"I like horses."_ **

Naruto was rendered well and truly speechless at the answer and was so shocked that he lost the grip on Kyuubi's power, which caused it to dissipate.

"…"

"…"

"Are you female?" Naruto asked in a flat voice.

 ** _"WHAT?! NO! Why would you ask that?!" 'What the hell?!'_** the Onikuma was well and truly confused and could feel his confusion reflected in the whispers of its shadow.

"Women are the only creatures that would go through all this trouble for a horse" Naruto said with a shrug.

 ** _"I like the TASTE! … I like to EAT horses, foolish human!"_** the Onikuma clarified incredulously. He had noticed the strange fascination human females had for its preferred food but still … this conversation was weird even by his standards.

"So, you decided to camp out and eat at your leisure. Is that it? … You also ate the men that vanished, didn't you?" Naruto asked. On receiving a nod, he queried further. "What is up with the nightmares then? Why haven't you killed everyone by now?" Naruto had an idea but wanted confirmation all the same.

 ** _"Mugen is my opposite. Where I feed on flesh and blood, he feeds on fear, negativity and the very soul of his targets"_** the Onikuma spoke while gesturing towards the tendrils of shadow that had started creeping up and surrounding him. **_"I planned on going for the humans once the horses were gone and Mugen was done with them."_**

 ** _"What will you do now I wonder? The Kyuubi's power has left you and you can't beat me"_** the Onikuma stood up to its full height of around eighteen feet and Mugen, the living shadow wrapped around his body like armor.

Naruto realised that the break was over and also that the fight was now unwinnable. He couldn't channel the Kyuubi's chakra again – the continued use and especially the last burst had maxed out his capacity for Biju chakra for the night. Deciding to use a different tactic, Naruto started channelling all of his power into his limbs. "You are right. I can't beat you … But you can't catch me either. I will return with people who are far stronger than I … what will _you_ do then I wonder?" Naruto threw the Onikuma's words back at him.

The Onikuma wordlessly charged at Naruto and the game of dodge began anew. This time however, Naruto used his smaller size to dodge and get to hard to reach places. Naruto started peppering the rampaging bear randomly with raiton and katon jutsus. Each time a technique connected, the Onikuma roared in pain and increased the intensity of his attack. Deciding to make things even more difficult for his pursuer, Naruto started spraying acid bullets all around him. What did not hit the bear, hit the trees and caused them to fall and block the Onikuma's path. Naruto soon realised the flaw in his plan when the bear started using the broken trees as deadly projectiles. It was only through a combination of speed, a wind empowered kusarigama and his chains that Naruto managed to not get crushed by the wave of tree projectiles headed his way.

The battle of attrition continued with no end in sight. Each attack that Naruto executed was tanked by the Onikuma. Each attack the bear made was summarily avoided by Naruto. The situation finally changed when the Onikuma, in a fit of rage, started tearing out chunks of the ground and chucking it at Naruto. Mugen also used his shadowy tentacles to great effect and sent a barrage of random projectiles his way. Naruto knew that dodging wouldn't be possible and stood his ground to blast a hole through the oncoming blanket of assorted projectiles. A barrage of well placed 'Futon: Daitoppa' created an opening but before Naruto could go _out_ of it, his opponent came _in._

The Onikuma wasted no time and slashed its claw down at Naruto from high up in the air. The shadows clinging to the Onikuma's body launched out in a wave, in the shape of his claws and collided with Naruto. The force was so great that the ground around the point of impact was obliterated and four claw-shaped trenches extended for about a hundred metres beyond the point of impact. The Onikuma landed on the ground and started roaring in victory but stopped his celebration abruptly when he saw the silhouette of his would-be victim in the dust cloud. Soon, the cloud settled and out of it stepped a very surprised looking Naruto. "Ya know, I don't know what happened but I get this feeling I should thank you." The infuriating smile on the blonde ticked off the Onikuma and something clicked in his head. When he understood the full impact of the revelation he just had, the Onikuma let out an enraged howl **_"YOOOUUUUU!"_**

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'This is it! This is how I die! Mom you were right! We _are_ going to meet much sooner than I thought!' Naruto closed his eyes as the gigantic shadow blades headed his way. There was no dodging this time.

Naruto's life started flashing before his eyes – everything from the fateful night he was driven out of Konoha to that very night when he heard his mother's voice for the first time.

'You better come back safe or no ramen for you!' Ayame's lovely voice echoed in his head – 'I should have gotten a few more kisses out of her'

'Do you like what you see Na-ru-to Sama?' Yuki spoke in a breathy whisper – 'I am going to miss her'

'Kid! You should have joined my team!' Asuma's grinning voice came next – 'Still not happening'

'Naruto-kun, thank you!' Hinata's timid voice came next – 'You show 'em girl!'

'Fine! Naruto it is!' Shino grumbled the day of the team selection – 'VICTORY IS MINE!'

'Naruto! Stabbing people is not how ninjas make friends! Do not stab the academy students! Put. That. Blade. Away!' Kurenai's exasperated voice – 'It's so much fun to piss her off!'

'I am so proud of you my baby boy! I love you!' … "MOM!" … "I can't give up this easy! What would she think?!" … "I can't die here! I _won't_ die here!" …

"FUCK YOU! I WON'T DIE HERE!" Naruto screamed out and threw up his arms. Just before the shadow blades collided with him, Naruto could only look on in confusion as the edges of his body started blurring. Before he could give it any more thought, the blades collided with him … and passed through harmlessly.

"Ya know, I don't know what happened but I get this feeling I should thank you." Naruto said as he stepped out of the dust cloud.

**_"YOOOUUUUU!"_ **

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**_"YOOOUUUUU!"_ **

The Onikuma had had enough of this strange human child. First, he injured Mugen and then fought _him_ to a draw. And now, he passed through Mugen's shadow blades without a scratch. 'I knew that Mugen had suffered a great amount of damage but to think the boy _absorbed_ that power! He is a part of our shadow now! How is this possible?!'

 ** _"You bastard! You filthy pest! You stole our power! It is because of you that we can't travel anymore!"_** the Onikuma raged at Naruto. One of the greatest strengths the Onikuma had was the ability to wrap itself in Mugen's power and travel through the shadows. That is how they avoided the more powerful ninjas and yokai hunters. Ever since Mugen had come rushing back, injured beyond anything they could remember, they had been unable to jump into the shadows and leave. **_'I had chalked it up to the injuries and thought he needed to heal; but never did I expect THIS to happen!'_**

"Is that why you were flickering?!" Naruto asked in dawning comprehension, his mind going back to the strange flickering in the Onikuma's chakra signature when he first approached the forest that night. 'Last time, I absorbed Yuki's chakra and gained spider powers. This time, it makes sense that I gained some shadow abilities!' **"Brat! Do you have any idea how unfairly lucky you are?!"** the Kyuubi piped up. 'Hey! As long as I get to live! Wait a sec! Does this mean I can phase through whatever I like?!' Naruto asked excitedly. **"Calm the fuck down! And no! I think you were unhurt only because the shadow was basically attacking itself! Don't go and stand in front of a deadly jutsu or weapon to test the theory!"** the Kyuubi warned Naruto. 'Sucks! And I wouldn't do that! What do you take me for?!' **"Sure, you wouldn't"**

"Well, tough! You can't hurt me and I am stopping you from travelling. There is only one thing for me to do … get back and get help!" Naruto spoke to the infuriated Onikuma with a chuckle.

 ** _"What if we leave?"_** the Onikuma asked. They never had any reason to be afraid of ninjas because their shadow travel ability made it impossible for anyone to keep track of them. But now, with that ability blocked off, they were vulnerable and there was nothing they could do about the blonde child – he was too damn fast.

"What was that?"

 ** _"We promise to leave without harming anyone if you promise not to send any ninjas after us"_** the Onikuma offered.

"You are in no position to make demands!" Naruto countered hotly.

**_"Oh, but we are! By the time you get back with help we will have slaughtered every last human and animal on that farm! Let us go and there will be no more trouble from us!"_ **

Naruto was brought up short at that argument. 'Damn it! I had hoped they wouldn't use that against me! How I wish there was a way to bind them!' **"There just might be! Ever heard of summoning contracts?"** the Kyuubi suddenly spoke up. Naruto's expression brightened before falling again 'Yea! But how will we make it work? It needs fuinjutsu and shit!' **"Not really. If you can strike a deal with them, you can form a pact that will allow you to summon those two."**

Deciding to give it a shot, Naruto spoke to the Onikuma. "I have a counter offer. How would you like to work with me?"

 ** _"WHAT! We will never serve you!"_** the Onikuma roared in anger.

"WITH! I SAID WITH! As in partners!" Naruto rushed to clarify. Seeing the Onikuma's curious expression, he pressed on "You like to hunt and feed. I can provide you with targets!"

 ** _"We can hunt on our own! We don't need your help, human!"_** the Onikuma sounded offended.

"Yes, you can hunt. I am not denying that. But now, with your ability to travel blocked, any human you hunt will earn you unwanted attention from ninjas." Naruto cut the Onikuma off when he saw he was about to interrupt "Sure, many of them will be weak and you will kill them. But after a point, you will gain the attention of people far more powerful than I. What happens then? By working with me, you are protected!"

The Onikuma thought for a while before speaking. **_"Then why shouldn't I approach stronger ninjas? Specifically, your enemies?"_**

"Because, in a few years I will become the strongest ninja there ever was!" Naruto said with such absolute certainty that even the Onikuma was taken aback. "Besides, I am the only one with the means to restore your shadow travel ability." Naruto added casually. 'If that doesn't work, I don't know what will!'

**_"HOW?!"_ **

"A pact – made on our life, blood and chakra." Naruto replied succinctly. "Do you agree?" Naruto prompted again. **"Damn brat! Never knew you had it in you!"** the Kyuubi complimented Naruto, sounding thoroughly impressed.

The Onikuma thought for a long while, with Mugen speaking in his ears through a thousand whispers. **_'We can ensure that the pact doesn't inconvenience us.'_**

**_"I agree."_ **

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**Roughly two hours ealier**

Kurenai was the first to wake. She shot up from the floor, where she had collapsed, the moment she realised she was free of the hellish genjutsu. Her mind automatically went back to the _nightmare_ she was trapped in, as she tried to make sense of everything.

She had noticed early on that she was in a genjutsu, her expertise let her recognise at least that much. As a result, she was able to break it – but only partially. She couldn't exit the genjutsu even if she was aware of her surroundings. So, instead of experiencing the genjutsu first hand, she was forced to witness her worst nightmares repeat themselves over and over from a spectator's view point. She saw Asuma dying over and over again. She saw herself leading her team to their deaths over and over and over again. She saw everyone she cared for die in horrific ways – repeatedly. A few minutes later – or was it hours? – she was begging for the sweet kiss of death. Then, all of a sudden, the _thing_ blocking her from waking up disappeared and she finally managed to free herself.

Looking around, the first thing she saw was Hinata curled up on the floor and moaning piteously in the throes of her nightmares. Kurenai wasted no time in waking her up and had to spend a few minutes trying to console the distraught girl. She went and woke Shino next. While Shino wasn't the kind to openly show his distress, Kurenai and Hinata could easily tell that their quietest teammate had been shaken to his core.

"Sensei, we have to get Naruto-kun!" Hinata spoke up urgently. "Locate him." Kurenai said simply and waited for Hinata to respond. Her worry increased with Hinata's steadily growing panic. "Sensei! I can't find him anywhere! He is not here!" Hinata spoke frantically.

"This is bad! Hinata come with me and help wake everyone up. Shino use your kikaichu to find Naruto." Kurenai spoke, taking control of the situation.

"Don't worry Hinata. Naruto is fine." Shino spoke matter-of-factly and Hinata tearfully nodded before putting her game face on. Shino spoke as if he wasn't trying to comfort Hinata but simply stating a universal truth. Kurenai could only smile proudly at the level of trust her students were displaying in each other. 'I know teams that have been through wars together and still don't have such confidence in each other. Naruto please be all right! Your team needs you!'

Hinata and Kurenai went around the manor waking up the unfortunate souls. 'They have been suffering the same way for two weeks! How are they still sane?!' both Hinata and Kurenai thought to themselves as they woke up the latest victim. It became apparent to Kurenai that the kindest thing to do would be to knock everyone out. So, she proceeded to do just that. "Hinata, Shino. I am going to put all the people to sleep for now. We can't have them panicking and complicating things." Receiving twin nods of understanding, Kurenai drew up her power and went through a string of hand seals and intoned "Genjutsu: Nehan Shoja no Jutsu"

Beautiful white feathers started raining gently all over the property and soon the occupants of the manor were put in a dreamless sleep. Hinata and Shino had avoided the effects of the genjutsu by taking the proper counter-measures. The three of them then headed to their preferred vantage points hoping to get some indication of where Naruto had disappeared to.

**Present time**

"SENSEI! I see him!" Hinata gasped out loudly on the balcony roughly an hour later. Kurenai who was standing right next to her, shot off in the direction she was pointing after telling Hinata to signal if she saw any danger.

"NARUTO!" Kurenai shouted in joy as she saw her most troublesome student come out of the forest looking tired but otherwise unhurt. 'That's strange … I don't think I have ever seen him tired!'

"Sup Sensei!" Naruto replied with a cheery grin.

"Don't play the fool! Where were you?! What happened?! Are you alright?! Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" Kurenai rattled off as she looked all over Naruto trying to find any sign of injury.

Naruto was touched at the show of concern. While he knew that Kurenai and the others saw him for who he really was, there was a part of him that wasn't quite ready to believe that they thought of him as anything other than a monster just waiting to pounce.

"What did you see?"

Kurenai was taken aback at the unusually sombre voice of her liveliest student. She knew immediately what he was talking about and her first instinct was to avoid the question but looking into Naruto's eyes she could tell that her answer was _important._ "It was horrible," Kurenai couldn't suppress the shudder "I saw everyone I care about die over and over and over again. I saw Asuma die. I saw you three die in horrible ways. I saw you die because you got in way over your head trying to save me and the others." Kurenai looked away and fought down a sob. Turning around, she saw Naruto looking at her hopefully "You – you didn't see me do … uh … anything?"

"What do you mean 'do any – YOU IDIOT!" Kurenai was confused at the question at first before she caught on to his meaning. 'He doesn't honestly believe that I think of him as a monster?!' "YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT! How could you even think that?!" Kurenai punctuated her question with a sharp thwack to Naruto's head. "You are my comrade! My teammate! I would trust you with my life and that of the team … I DO trust you with our lives! Where the hell is this coming from?!"

Naruto could feel a slight stinging sensation at the corners of his eyes at Kurenai's outburst. "Nah! It's just that –"

"I know that the genjutsu was meant to show us our biggest fears Naruto. I could figure out that much even if I couldn't break out of it. I care for you! You are my precious student and are fast becoming a friend as well! I fear for you! I _don't_ fear you!" Kurenai said with embarrassment clear on her face. Changing gears, she continued "Still, this much self-doubt is not like you! You are in your own words Naruto Fuckin' Uzumaki! Act like it!"

"Holy shit! You swore! The prim and proper Kurenai Yuhi just said 'Fuck'!"

'Aaand he is back!' "I can if I want to, you know" Kurenais said with a huff.

"But that's the point! You _don't!"_

"Shut up and tell me _everything_ that happened." Kurenai asked Naruto, getting back to business mode.

Naruto considered for a few moments and decided to do just that. He told Kurenai _everything_ that happened that night. "You won't _believe_ the night I have had -"

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Fifteen minutes a later, a shell shocked Kurenai was gaping at the impossible blonde in front of her.

"Well … that happened." Kurenai knew without a shred of doubt that Naruto was telling the truth and if anything, he was probably downplaying the difficulty he had faced. "What do I tell the client?" Kurenai wondered out loud.

"Sensei, just tell them that it was a couple of Yokai – which is the truth – and that after _we_ fought them in the forest they went up in flames!" Naruto suggested with a grin.

"You know what? Yeah, let's just tell them that. The source of the problem is gone and I don't want you to summon a couple of nightmare creatures in the middle of defenceless civilians just to prove a point." Kurenai said with a sigh.

"I knew you would see it my way! Now let's go! My dear teammates must be feeling so lonely without me!" Naruto said, his usual demeanour coming back.

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Naruto and Kurenai made their way back to the manor. All this while, Hinata was vibrating in her spot out of worry and excitement. 'Naruto-kun is okay! … What is taking them so long?!'

The moment the two entered they were immediately greeted by both Hinata and Shino. Naruto told them everything that happened that night and only left out Kyuubi's involvement. He would tell them _someday._

Hinata was scared half to death from Naruto's story alone. 'He battled Yokai! YOKAI! What _can't_ he do?! He is always looking out for us!'

Shino on the other hand listened to the story in rapt attention, nodded once and simply said "Seems par for the course for you Naruto" and got ready to move out.

As the sun started rising, the team went around waking people up from their slumber. Soon, all the occupants were gathered in the main hall. Dozens of pairs of hopeful eyes were on the four shinobi that had come to their aid.

"Good news everyone! The situation is resolved!" that was as far as Kurenai got before she was drowned out by joyous shouts and whoops from all around the room. It was only when Sadao made his presence known that the ruckus subsided. "Are you absolutely certain Kurenai-san? Who was behind this?" Sadao spoke with the air of a man who wanted to believe but didn't dare to.

"Hai, Uehara-sama. Please don't panic – it was the work of a couple of Yokai" the room promptly descended into panic.

"Are you certain?!" Sadao asked fearfully. While genuine Yokai-related incidents, especially of this magnitude, were extremely rare, they were not unheard of.

"Yes. Last night my student and I followed their trail deep into the forest and fought and destroyed them. I am sorry but the forest will never be the same again." Kurenai hated telling that lie but she knew that the client would not believe her if she said a preteen was the one who defeated the monster and put an end to the entire incident.

"Thank you! Thank you, Kurenai-san!" Sadao immediately broke into tears of relief, unmindful of the fact that everyone could see him. Although, to be fair, nobody was in a state to care about a man expressing joy at being relieved from what seemed like the clutches of the devil himself.

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Team Kurenai was forced to spend the next two days to enjoy what hospitality the Uehara estate could offer. While the gratitude was genuine the more practical part of their minds couldn't help but think that they were being kept around just in case the monsters made a comeback. Although, Kurenai and Hinata didn't mind because they got to spend two entire days with the horses. Naruto used that time to sleep like it was going out of fashion – only waking up to consume obscene amounts of food. Shino was off doing Shino things.

When the second night passed without incident and Sadao was finally convinced that they were safe, Team 8 managed, at last, to leave the place in a farewell procession fit for royalty.

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"Team 8 reporting successful completion of the Uehara estate mission." Kurenai gave the Hokage a smart salute.

"That's great news! At ease! At ease!" the Hokage replied with a smile. "What was it then?"

"Yokai gramps!" Naruto piped up from his place near the wall. Kurenai couldn't find it in herself to admonish the blonde – just this once.

"Very funny … wait, you are not joking, are you?" the Hokage's expression went from an accommodating smile to a concerned expression in an instant when he noticed the serious expressions on the team members' faces.

"Tell me everything!"

And Kurenai did – leaving out only the Kyuubi's involvement – she would tell him later when Hinata and Shino were not around. Besides, it would be redacted from any and all reports anyway.

"I thought this would be a simple mission!" the Hokage started puffing on his pipe for comfort.

"Well, to be fair, we were the best possible team for this gig." Naruto offered.

"Perhaps, but even -" the Hokage stopped as his assistant barged into the room.

"Forgive me Hokage-sama! You need to see this immediately!" the assistant handed the old man a scroll.

The Hokage's expression turned grim the moment his eyes landed on the message in the scroll.

"I know you lot just returned from a mission but there is a situation and it needs immediate intervention. Yours is the only suitable team on hand right now." The Hokage spoke in full commander mode.

"Where?" Kurenai responded in kind. Her team was well rested and fresh, they could easily take on this assignment – whatever it was.

The Hokage gave a pleased nod and tossed the scroll to Kurenai before speaking.

"Nami no Kuni."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be my last update for the foreseeable future. Job hunting is on and as you can imagine time is a very scarce commodity at the moment. I promise that I will be DEFINITELY returning within a few weeks time.


	21. We Will Find You

**A/N #1: I AM BAAAACK! I promised I wouldn't be abandoning the story and here I am. Sorry about the delay ... Full explanation in ANs at the end. Also, the chapter is HUUUGE - 26k words.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other Anime/Game**

**Chapter 21 – We will find you**

"OW! FUCK! DAMMIT! Damn you Haku!" the man with bandages wrapped around his face shouted from the bed he was held prisoner in. Ever since that black day two days ago, when he had been forced to fake his death in a particularly painful manner, his entire existence had become torture. Anyone else in his position would have agreed that a body ravaged by ice needles was a small price to pay to escape certain death at the hands of one of the most infamous ninjas alive. The bandaged man understood the necessity but it didn't make it any easier – not for his body and certainly not for his wounded pride.

Taking the loud grumbling to be a sign that his master was up, the teenager who was the target of the masked man's anger, walked into the room.

"Good morning, Master Zabuza" the teenager greeted the man in the bed respectfully.

"CAN IT HAKU!" the man now identified as Zabuza snapped from his bed. Haku merely nodded and stayed silent.

After a few more moments of grumpy silence from the bandage wrapped mercenary, Haku carefully approached the bed and started laying out herbs and medicines on the table beside it.

"I apologise master but we both know it was necessary" Haku said softly while propping Zabuza up on the bed.

Zabuza started swelling up and looked like he was about to lay into Haku when he suddenly deflated with a tired sigh. "Yeah, you are right."

Zabuza quietly accepted the medicine that Haku was feeding him with the burning humiliation of his situation colouring his face. "When I get out of here … I am going to chop that one-eyed bastard into tiny little pieces!" Zabuza declared loudly and promptly collapsed into a deep sleep courtesy Haku's medicine. Maybe the knockout herb wasn't strictly necessary but Haku wasn't taking any chances – it was not at all because Zabuza's incessant complaining was getting tiresome … not at all.

Haku put his medical supplies away and was about to change into his civilian outfit to go out and gather herbs when he was interrupted by a loud banging on the door. This immediately resulted in Haku pulling out a kunai on pure reflex. Ever since the loss of the Demon brothers, the list of the people who knew of their current hideout had been reduced to an exclusive few. Haku immediately cast his senses out and picked up 3 weak signatures on the other side of the door. 'What is _he_ doing here?!' Haku thought with a combination of worry and bemusement.

Palming the Kunai but keeping it at the ready, Haku opened the door to come face to face with a very vertically diverse trio in front of him. Flanked by two hulking bandits err, freelancers stood a very short man who sported a head of shaggy brown-grey hair and wore a strange apparel he called a business suit – it was apparently all the rage in the lands to the west of the elemental nations. Haku simply found it bizarre.

"Gato-san, what brings you here?" Haku inquired as civilly as he could when he saw the detestable midget who had employed his master's services.

"Why is the bridge-builder still alive?!" Gato disregarded Haku's greeting and aggressively invaded Haku's personal space. It took monumental effort on Haku's part to not gut the short man on reflex alone. Oblivious to how close he had come to decorating the drab hut with his own innards, the shipping magnate-cum-crime lord continued his tirade. "The _Great_ Demon-of-the-mist, my ass! You lot can't take care of one feeble old insect! What the fuck am I paying you for?! Huh?" Gato screamed at Haku and brushed past him into the hut proper.

"There were some unforeseen complications. We hadn't expected the fight with Kakashi Hatake of the Leaf to devolve s-" Haku started to explain in a measured voice and Gato cut him off.

"He had three snivelling little brats to be worried about as well! … I hear everything" Gato said smugly when he saw a slight inquisitive twitch in Haku's brow. "You mean to tell me that the bandaged freak and his pretty little butt-boy couldn't find a single opening to get the job done?!" Gato sneered at Haku and turned towards the prone form of Zabuza and spat on the ground for good measure.

Haku, despite being an accomplished assassin and Zabuza's right hand, possessed an uncommonly gentle nature that detested senseless violence and wanton killing. Zabuza had given him considerable grief about it saying that his softness would get them both killed someday. In spite of his kind hearted disposition, Haku couldn't help but channel his master at that moment. He was willing to tolerate anything for the sake of Zabuza but any insult _to_ his master was another matter entirely. The fact that Zabuza would skin him alive if he killed the client – before he paid the full amount, at least – was the only reason that Gato still had his head attached. 'A tool shouldn't inconvenience the wielder … a tool shouldn't inconvenience the wielder' was the chant that Haku kept up in his head even as he inadvertently let some KI slip out.

Zabuza and his two _employees'_ neck hair stood up at the sudden drop in temperature and they hastily took a collective step back.

"You think you scare me you little bastard?!" Gato snarled at Haku and charged up to him again. "You sent out those two ridiculously dressed flunkies of yours and they are gone now! ... And you two _hotshots_ returned with your tails between your legs! Why the fuck am I paying you so much?! It would be so much better to hire a few gangs and unleash them on the town for a tenth of the price!" Gato raged at Haku.

"Hehehe … Maybe you should boss! These ninjas are just over-hyped shits! We will get the job done!" Nameless Thug #1 piped up with a stupid laugh.

"Just look at him!" Gato pointed at Zabuza and started moving towards him. "The _Demon_ he calls himself! Che!" Gato said with absolute disgust dripping from his voice.

Haku promptly put himself in Gato's path and blocked his approach. Gato did not like the implied threat and burst again. "That is fucking enough! What about the money I already wasted on you? How do I make it back? … Unless …" Gato started leering at Haku. "Y'know it's a shame that you are a boy but still … you are pretty enough. I know people who are into that shit and would pay a good price for you – hell, I wouldn't mind a go myself!" Gato said and started chuckling horribly.

"Yea boss! He has a pretty mouth on him! I would love to see those lovely little lips wrapped around my cock!" Nameless Thug #2 enthusiastically agreed with Gato.

"I should just get rid of the freak now and cut my losses … selling off your ass might even net me a profit!" Gato mused out loud as the two thugs started circling Haku and Zabuza.

Haku was no stranger to comments on his appearance. He was effeminate and had a face that at the bare minimum would be called angelic. All his life he had been mistaken for an extraordinarily beautiful young woman and had grown accustomed to the broken hearts and snide comments that inevitably followed once the truth was known. However, Gato's casual discussion of selling him off as a sex slave was a first. Immediately after that, he just _had_ to threaten Zabuza's life and what's more, the trash that came with Gato even started moving towards him and Zabuza. 'Perhaps master won't mind a small demonstration.'

"There is a small problem with your plan Gato" Haku spoke in a low voice.

"Oh? Whatever could it be?" Gato sneered back.

Gato wasn't exactly sure what followed next. Even hours after leaving the hut as a shivering and stuttering mess, all he could remember was _cold_ and _death_ – sudden and absolute _death._

One moment the boy was standing there, the next moment a scream erupted from the right of Gato. He turned around to see that Thug #1 had been disarmed – quite literally. Even the recently disarmed thug took some time to realise his sudden and quite involuntary weight loss, but once he did, he started screaming and flailing about and sprayed his blood all over the shocked and now terrified Gato. 'Godammit! What is this?!'

Thug #2 saw the pretty boy disappear and the next instant he turned around at his partner's scream. Taking in the de-limbed state of his comrade scared him shitless and he started looking around frantically for the boy who had pretty much vanished.

"Let me show you how I keep my lips so _pretty._ " Haku's dangerously calm voice sounded out from behind Thug #2's shoulder and he turned around with his weapon raised – only the weapon didn't move. 'Wait! That's not right! _I_ can't move! I CAN'T MOVE! I CAN'T MOVE!' the thug devolved into a panic, although it didn't show on his completely paralysed body. Gato could only keep staring in shock at how quickly two of the leaders of the various bandit and mercenary groups under his command were immobilised. However, Haku wasn't done. These pieces of trash had dared to threaten Zabuza – an example had to be made.

Gato could see the needle – was it made of fucking _ice?_ – sticking out of Thug #2's neck and to make matters worse, Haku simply walked up to him and clamped his hand down on the thug's mouth.

"Are you ready for my secret?" Haku said in a taunting voice and ice started spreading from the area he was touching on the thug's face. Terrified out of his mind, Gato dropped to his knees wordlessly as the thug was frozen solid in roughly ten seconds.

"That's strange. He shouldn't have been able to make a sound, much less groan like that" Haku remarked, apparently oblivious to Gato's presence.

"I need more precision then … I have neglected my practice" Haku said with a rueful shake of his head and casually shattered the ice statue as he turned to face Gato.

Our favourite shipping magnate was not in a good way. The casual demolition of his men had already struck the fear of Kami in him and the literally ice-cold execution of Nameless Thug #2 had caused him to empty his bladder on the floor where he was kneeling. Cowering and gibbering in a puddle of his own urine, Gato simply flinched and started praying when Haku addressed him directly.

" _You_ get to live simply because my master would be inconvenienced by your death. You still owe us money after all. Leave." Haku said in an icy voice and Gato wasted no time in pelting out the door, his now one-armed thug hot on his heels.

"Good! You are finally growing some balls!" Zabuza's raspy voice came from behind Haku.

Haku quickly turned around at that.

"You were awake the entire time, master?" Haku inquired softly.

"Huh? No, that one armed bitch's squealing woke me up. But … it was worth it! … 'I have neglected my practice' … Hah! Good one kid!" Zabuza chuckled and immediately grimaced as the pain from the simple motion made its presence known.

Waving a concerned Haku back, he continued "Next time you feel like gutting someone, do it in a place where their squealing won't wake me."

"Of course, master." Haku quickly agreed, immensely relieved that Zabuza wasn't pissed at him for his actions.

"Leave me in peace for now" Zabuza commanded and Haku nodded in acquiescence and made towards the door.

Just as Haku reached the exit, Zabuza spoke up again. "You did good kid! I might have a _talk_ with the midget bastard after this is all over."

Haku simply nodded and vanished from sight.

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"So, why are _we_ going up against opponents that 'Sharingan no Kakashi' himself can't handle?" Naruto demanded somewhat incredulously.

"Oh my, are you _scared_ Naruto?" Kurenai responded with a smirk.

Before Naruto could retort, Shino chimed in "For once, Naruto makes sense."

"HEY! I make plenty of sense!"

Ignoring the blonde's outburst, Kurenai spoke with a sigh "Kakashi is confident that he can handle Zabuza by himself. He most probably wants us to act in a support role – apparently his team isn't enough to take care of Zabuza's backup."

"I am just saying, wouldn't it make more sense to send in … I don't know … an ANBU squad or something?" Naruto muttered.

"Well, you heard the Hokage. We are the only available team. Also, if he was comfortable entrusting this mission to us then he obviously thinks we can do it." Kurenai explained while casting a slightly worried glance at Naruto.

"Well, let's pick up the pace, shall we?" Kurenai asked and the team put on a burst of speed and vanished deeper into the forest path.

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Sasuke Uchiha was not happy. To be fair, he never was. Recent developments however, had caused his grump-o-meter to reach new heights. First was the humiliating defeat at the hands of that upstart bastard Naruto. The very thought of the guy drove him into a murderous rage.

Then came his fucking _team._ How that annoying pink-haired little tart could breathe without an instruction manual was beyond him. The only good thing about her - in his book - was that she at least knew how to treat her betters. The same could NOT be said about the mutt. The Inuzuka had been confrontational since day one and had kept on trying to prove his superiority and become the _alpha_ of the team. The very thought was enough to make Sasuke gag. 'How these dog-humping, one-trick ponies are considered to be one of the foremost clans of Konoha I will never understand. Trash should know its place.'

After that, the months of demeaning menial labour masquerading as 'missions' had taken a toll on his already non-existent patience. It was only because of the snivelling sycophant Sakura taking up his parts in a bid to win his favour, that Sasuke hadn't snapped and killed someone out of pure frustration.

His sensei had been absolutely useless - refusing to teach him any _real_ ninja arts and focusing on bloody _teamwork_. 'What good is teamwork when two of the three members are a weak little girl and a brainless mongrel? It is better that I train on my own. These fools aren't worthy of being in the presence of an Uchiha!' had been Sasuke's reasoning behind ditching most of the D-Rank missions and spending the time training on his own. He was secure in the knowledge that he was an Uchiha and therefore untouchable.

His bubble of security had been very quickly burst by an irritated Kakashi who had tracked him down after two missed missions. Kakashi had given him a verbal thrashing that had left him outraged and fuming for weeks. The Cyclopean Jonin also followed it up by overloading him with more D-ranks and no way out.

After months of _utter bullshit,_ Sasuke had finally got a chance to step out of the confines of the village on a real mission to prove his superiority and worth once and for all. The start went well enough. The demon brothers were a bit of a challenge but ultimately proved to be no match for his Uchiha greatness.

Then everything went to hell in a hand-basket.

The encounter with Zabuza had shaken him to his core. The 'Demon-of-the-Mist's very presence had almost caused him to off himself in sheer terror. The subsequent battle between Kakashi and Zabuza had jarred him and made him aware of _exactly_ how much of a small fry he still was and how much further he still had to go before he was able to achieve his goal of killing Itachi.

To top it all off, he discovered that Kakashi too was in possession of a Sharingan. That had thrown him for a loop. Before he could question him about it, Kakashi fainted from the strain of using it in pitched battle after so long. That just proved to Sasuke once and for all that Kakashi wasn't born with the Sharingan. 'Then how come he has it?' Kakashi managed to wake up once and stay up only long enough to send a haphazard call for backup.

On the second morning after their arrival at Tazuna's and one day before their backup was to arrive, Kakashi woke up and took them out into the backyard. After his prediction that Zabuza would return to finish the job by the end of the week, he started training his team in the tree-climbing exercise.

Sasuke was displeased that he could not find a chance to question Kakashi about his Sharingan and was doubly pissed off when he found out that he could not immediately complete the exercise. The training session devolved into a pissing contest between Kiba and Sasuke while Kakashi rested in the corner with his Icha Icha. The relative monotony was broken by a loud squeal of delight.

Cringing at the shrill noise, Kiba turned to the source of the racket with a glare while massaging his poor, abused ears. Sasuke followed suit, only to pause in amazement which quickly turned into a hateful glare. At the very top of a tree stood a widely smiling Sakura.

"Look at me, Sasuke-kun! I did it! I got to the top! And I did it all by watching you! You are so cool!" Sakura enthused from the top of the tree at the very top of her lungs. The poor Inuzuka scion could only rub his sensitive, brutalised ears while fighting down the urge to throw up – violently – at Sakura's display. Sasuke for his part merely glared up hatefully before turning around with a huff to resume his attempts. 'Oh no! Sasuke-kun is mad at me! What do I do? How do I make it up to him?!' Sakura despaired from her perch.

"Well done, Sakura" Kakashi said from his place and strangely enough everyone heard it clearly. 'Is that a voice projection technique?' Sakura thought.

"What did she do right?" Kakashi asked the three assembled genin once they gathered in front of him. Kiba shrugged, Sasuke ignored him and Sakura simply kept throwing nervous glances towards Sasuke. 'This is getting tiresome' Kakashi groaned mentally.

Out loud, he said "She has got near perfect chakra control." Sasuke and Kiba looked up at that while Sakura, despite herself couldn't help but preen a bit. "Although, that is because she has so little to control in the first place" Kakashi continued and Sakura deflated. "Don't be disheartened Sakura. It just means that you are geared more towards finesse. You will be a great fit for iryo and gen-jutsu. We just need to find you the right training and you can always increase your reserves."

Sakura perked right back up at Kakashi's words and cast a hopeful glance at Sasuke. 'That's right! I can always be there to tend to Sasuke-kun's wounds after he returns from battle! Will he thank me I wonder? Will he even … Kiss me?! KYAAA!' Sakura squealed to herself mentally. As the image of Sasuke _thanking_ her grew even more explicit by the second, she collapsed with a giant nosebleed.

Sakura's bizarre display had the three males looking at each other in confusion. Each of them wordlessly went back to what they were doing. Kiba and Sasuke to training and Kakashi to his porn.

The team kept up the training for the rest of the day and after a few hours went back to Tazuna to turn in for the night and wait for their backup.

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Naruto had passed through a few towns and villages for his first C-rank mission but he had never imagined that any place could look as dull and beaten as the Wave. It looked like the colour had been washed off the very air. Everywhere he looked, he saw dilapidated houses and people dressed in rags.

"Sensei, this is a port town, correct?" Hinata asked from Kurenai's left as she took in her surroundings. "Then why does it look so poor?"

"You are right, Hinata. It shouldn't be" Kurenai replied. "I have a gut feeling that this ties into our mission somehow. For now, we should regroup with Team 7 and maybe they will be able to throw some light on the situation."

Just as they turned a corner, the group saw a man who was obviously a thug kicking a little girl into a puddle of mud. Naruto made an outraged noise in his throat and made to lunge towards the bandit when Kurenai's hand clamped down on his arm.

"What?" Naruto growled at Kurenai.

"Naruto. Control yourself!" Kurenai shot back in a harsh whisper. "It looks like the bastard is already moving on. Nobody knows of our arrival and if his lot are what we will be up against, it is better they not know of our presence. Don't you think?" Kurenai asked him pointedly.

Naruto simply huffed in irritation and turned away from Kurenai.

"I understand, Naruto. But you can't hold yourself responsible for every wrong in the world and be there to set it right" Kurenai said with a sigh. "Nothing good comes out of walking down that path. Believe me, I _know._ " The flash of bitterness and sorrow in Kurenai's voice as she said the last bit took Naruto aback and he turned to stare at Kurenai. After an uncomfortable moment, Naruto simply nodded and the team pushed on towards Tazuna's house.

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Team 7 was about to sit down and break their fast when they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Whoever could it be? So early in the day?" Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter and the lady of the house, wondered out loud as she got the door. Team 7 could hear low murmurings coming from the door way and went back to their food. Only Kiba with his supernatural hearing could make out what was going on out there. 'What the hell are _they_ doing here?'

"What is it Kiba?" Sakura asked when she saw Kiba was ignoring his food and staring at the hallway with rapt attention.

"It's –" Kiba began and had to immediately shut up when Sasuke burst out in an enraged yell.

"YOU!" Sasuke shot up from his seat and glared hatefully at Naruto who had just walked in.

"I know you are excited to see me but _do try_ and keep it in your pants" Naruto drawled at the infuriated Uchiha. Naruto had not been expecting a warm welcome from Team 7. Kiba was borderline afraid of him. Sasuke hated him and that meant the pink-haired leech was not far behind. But Sasuke's over-the-top reaction to his presence was too funny. 'While this is fun now, it's going to get really old, really fast … might as well enjoy it for as long as it lasts.'

"Ewww Naruto-Baka! Don't say such disgusting things to Sasuke-kun! How dare you?!" Sakura screeched and stood up.

She got no reaction except for a round of cringes at her shrill voice. Kiba was busy massaging his poor ears and Akamaru high-tailed it out of the room. Everyone then proceeded to ignore her and Sasuke spoke to Naruto again. "What the fuck are _you_ doing here?"

"You are the Uchiha _genius_ … figure it out." Naruto said in a snide voice and strolled past him into the room and set his bag down in a corner. Shino and Hinata entered the room next and took their places next to Naruto.

"Hello everyone. It's nice to see you all after such a long time" Hinata greeted Team 7 politely and got a greeting in return only from Kiba. Sasuke and Sakura were too busy glaring at Naruto. Shino simply nodded to Kiba and after receiving a nod in return, ignored the other two members of Team 7.

It was to this tense atmosphere that Kurenai - who had been busy talking to Tsunami – walked in.

"Where is Kakashi?" Kurenai asked the Team 7 members and before anyone else could reply, in walked the man himself.

"Ah, Kurenai! You are our backup? I feel safe already." Kakashi said with his signature eye smile and sat down at the table.

"KAKASHI! You can't be serious!" Sasuke protested loudly.

Kurenai was shocked at the sheer disrespect and arrogance the Uchiha brat was displaying. She had heard of how the village treated the last Uchiha like the second coming of the Shodaime. She had also heard of how all the hype had gone to the brat's head but seeing him in action, in the flesh was something else entirely. She quickly offered her thanks to the heavens. 'Thank Kami my kids are not like that! … Wait, _my kids_? … Well, come to think of it … it doesn't sound too bad. In fact, it sounds just right … Yeah … Thank Kami MY KIDS are not like that!'.

Kurenai quickly glanced at her team before turning an unimpressed stare towards the Uchiha brat and his sensei. "Are you in the habit of letting all your students behave this detestably? Or is this some special privilege you extend only to your precious Uchiha?" Kurenai asked Kakashi in a voice dripping with scorn.

Truth be told, even Kakashi was taken aback at Sasuke's display. All this time, he had known Sasuke to be arrogant and unpleasant but never would he have pegged the Uchiha prone to such an outburst. 'This was honestly more Kiba's speed than Sasuke's. I know Sasuke detests Naruto but was he seriously affected by his presence _that_ much?'

Shelving his thoughts for the time-being, Kakashi turned to the last Uchiha. "Sasuke! That is enough! Apologise for your outburst and show some respect!" Kakashi said to Sasuke. Sasuke merely sneered and stormed off with Sakura on his heels. Kiba simply stood around awkwardly unsure of what to do. Kakashi turned to Kurenai with a sigh.

"Forgive me Kurenai. The past few days have been tough on the team. I will get him to apologise to you" Kakashi said in a tired sounding voice.

Kurenai waved off Kakashi. "I couldn't care less about the brat's apology. His attitude will hurt him and his team, not me."

"That it will" Kakashi tiredly agreed.

"So, go on. Give us a rundown of the situation and tell us _exactly_ what we are up against. All we could make out from your note were the barest of details" Kurenai said as she motioned her team to join her at the table.

Naruto plopped himself beside Kurenai as Shino took the seat opposite to Kakashi, at the other end of the table and Hinata situated herself opposite Naruto. Deciding to be cheeky and play the role of a model genin just for shits and giggles, Naruto addressed Kakashi in an extremely respectful tone of voice.

"It is an honour to meet you Kakashi-sensei" Naruto even added a small bow for good measure.

Naruto's teammates were taken aback for a second before they realised exactly what he was trying to pull. Shino simply stared ahead and Hinata looked anywhere but at Naruto out of fear that she would start giggling if she caught his eye. Kurenai, for her part, was chuckling away to herself on the inside. 'That cheeky little brat!'

Kakashi, who was not at all aware of Naruto's true nature was very impressed by his _respectful_ greeting. "Oh yes, yes. It is nice to meet you too, Naruto-kun … and the entire team as well" Kakashi hastily added. Kakashi had gotten glimpses of Naruto in the past but seeing him up close for the first time, he couldn't help but draw parallels between him and the Yondaime. 'He looks just like you Sensei! … Oh, how I wish he could have been here to see you Naruto.'

"Well, now that the _pleasantries_ are out of the way, can we please get a move on?" Kurenai asked and Kakashi quickly launched into his story.

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"So, we are to simply wait here for a week for Zabuza to attack?" Kurenai asked Kakashi.

"Do you have a better idea? I am all ears." Kakashi returned.

"What about tracking? You have an Inuzuka on the team. We could use that to our advantage and between our team, you and Kiba's nose we could find and neutralise him. We have a gifted Byakugan user, a natural sensor and an Aburame with us." Kurenai offered.

"Perhaps, but the threat is two pronged. If we leave in search of Zabuza, there is no guarantee that we will find him. I highly doubt Kiba remembers his scent. Besides, if we go on a wild goose chase, Zabuza could come here and finish the job unobstructed. And even if we do find him, the city is crawling with Gato's mercenaries and goons. The moment we leave, they will swarm the town and kill Tazuna and any who stand in their path." Kakashi countered.

Kurenai pondered both the options for a while before nodding. "Fine. We will wait."

"Sensei, what are we to do in the meantime?" Shino spoke up.

"You could always train a bit more and get ready for the final fight" Kakashi offered.

"Is that what you are doing now?" Kurenai asked Kakashi.

"Yea, pretty much. In fact, we are beginning shortly" Kakashi replied with a shrug.

"Very well, what are you teaching them? … I can't imagine there are a lot of things that can be taught in less than a week _and_ be used in battle" Kurenai asked interestedly.

"Well, I was about to go join them outside. See for yourself" Kakashi said and got up with Team 8 following suit.

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"Are they seriously learning tree-climbing just now?!" Naruto blurted out loud in an incredulous tone the moment he stepped into the yard and saw Team 7's training in progress.

"Kakashi! What is the meaning of this?! How could you bring a team that does not know something as basic as that, on a mission?" Kurenai whirled around to face Kakashi with a shocked expression on her face.

"Maa, calm down Kurenai. I have been focusing on more important areas" Kakashi replied with a sheepish expression on his face.

"Oh yeah? Like what?!" Kurenai challenged him. 'How could he have been this negligent in his duties as a Jonin-sensei?'

"Well … uh … I had them improving their team work" Kakashi replied weakly and cringed a bit when he realised how lame it sounded to his _own_ ears. Kurenai was at a loss for words and her face reflected that. She cycled through every possible expression between flabbergasted to outraged before settling on her patented glare.

"Teamwork? _Teamwork?!_ … That is what you are going with?" Kurenai was hopping mad by now and made no efforts to hide the disgust she was feeling. As a recently promoted Jonin, she took her job extremely seriously and genuinely cared for her students.

"Your _team_ \- and I use that term very loosely – consists of a spoilt brat, his useless sycophant of a _fan-girl …_ " Kurenai couldn't quite hide her disgust and disappointment. Girls like Sakura were the complete opposite of the standards serious Kunoichi tried to set. "… and an Inuzuka whose training you have clearly neglected … What the hell are you playing at Kakashi?! How could you bring them out of the village in their condition?" Kurenai's voice was tinged with the immense confusion she was feeling at the bizarre revelations of the day.

"Sensei?" Naruto's uncommonly soft voice came from behind Kurenai, which had her turning around instantly to face him.

"Can I simply say that … I FREAKING LOVE YOU!" Naruto ended passionately with a mix of disbelief, disgust, amusement, embarrassment & gratitude clear on his face. 'Dear Kami! That could have been me!' Naruto couldn't tear his eyes away from the magnificent train-wreck that Team 7 was proving itself to be. Behind him, his equally horrified teammates were staring at Team 7 with wide disbelieving eyes and broke their gaze only to furiously nod in agreement with Naruto's declaration before being drawn back to the spectacle again.

It had been slowly dawning on Kakashi for a while now that he had neglected training his team in the more practical – scratch that – in anything useful. Their performance the other day had made it amply clear. Although, to be fair, the obstacles they had faced so far were completely unexpected and clearly beyond their level. Kiba and Sasuke had shown good initiative against the demon brothers during the ambush. Their performance against Zabuza was rather good considering how little training they had and the fact that it was against Zabuza 'The Demon' Momochi himself in the first place. The person that had him truly worried was Sakura. She was in the most honest terms – a dead weight. She had no redeeming qualities and no talents to justify her position in the team.

Most of her day was spent fawning over Sasuke and she neglected her training. On top of that showed no drive to learn on her own. 'If she continues this way, I will have no other option but to send her to the genin corps permanently.'

'I am not cut out to be a teacher – at least to beginners and genin. I agreed to it only to honour Sensei and Obito's memory. But how do I train a team that is not willing to work together? … And Kurenai is right. I never should have brought them out. In my pride, I thought that I could protect them from anything … and the exposure to the more serious side of our world would jog them into action! I had never counted on coming across Zabuza of all people or the situation to get so out of hand!'

Even if Kakashi could see where Kurenai was coming from, he did not like being backed into a corner. The looks of disapproval that were being thrown his way by the other three and Naruto in particular wasn't helping his mood any. So, Kakashi did what Kakashi always did and tried to play it off.

"Some people just learn differently. I admit that there were some complications but I have it under control" Kakashi said with a slight wave of his hand and a very uncomfortable eye smile. All he got in return was an incredulous snort from Kurenai. "Yeah, right!"

Naruto in the meantime had lost a lot of respect for the legend of 'Sharingan no Kakashi'. His teammates weren't far behind if their expressions were anything to go by. Kakashi was a living legend and hearing stories of his brilliance and prowess was almost impossible to avoid. The genin of Team 8 were thoroughly disillusioned by his abysmal display.

"I _will_ be having a word with Hokage-sama after this. You can count on that Kakashi" Kurenai warned him before turning to her team. "Guys, I suppose we should get some training of our own done. Hinata you are with me. Naruto and Shino, pair off and start on taijutsu. Let's meet back here in a couple of hours."

Her instructions issued, the team promptly split off into the assigned groups and went off in search of suitable places to train.

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"Man! I can't believe how bad those guys are!" Naruto said to Shino as their practice was winding down.

"They _are_ woefully under prepared. We are lucky to have Kurenai sensei" Shino spoke and got a fervent nod from Naruto in return.

"Damn straight! What do you think Sensei is teaching Hinata though?" Naruto asked as the pair leisurely walked back to Tazuna's place.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she has started training Hinata in genjutsu."

"Yeah, she did seem excited about it. Good for her and us. We have zero genjutsu casting capability in the team – so far" Naruto replied excitedly. He recognised exactly how devastating the art could be – the experience with Mugen had made a definite impression on him. Even now, the thought of facing the Onikuma and Mugen at full strength sent a shudder of terror down his spine. 'Thank Kami for Kyuubi and my chains!'

 **"Damn straight!"** Kyuubi barked out in his mind before falling silent.

"Naruto, I would like to go and check out the types of bugs native to this region tomorrow. Can we stay back a while after tomorrow's training?" Shino asked Naruto with a sideways glance.

"Of course! Let's take Hinata too, she can see better than either of us" Naruto suggested with a huge smile.

"That sounds like a good idea" Shino agreed and they spent the rest of their journey back talking about random stuff.

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"- No, that is a ridiculous idea!" Kurenai's harsh reply was the first thing that Naruto heard when they reached Tazuna's backyard. Team 7 and Kakashi were lined up on one side and facing an annoyed looking Kurenai and a thoroughly uncomfortable Hinata.

"People! What did we miss?!" Naruto's greeting broke the tension in the air as everyone turned to the returning pair.

"Kakashi wants you lot to face off in practice spars against his team" Kurenai explained and her tone conveyed _exactly_ what she thought of that idea.

Naruto was split between wanting to laugh like a loon and wondering about exactly what Kakashi was thinking. Shino's slight start at that bit of information told Naruto his thoughts on the matter very clearly.

"What?!" Naruto replied with a snort.

"Don't be like that. It will be a good training exercise" Kakashi said weakly. He knew very well that there was almost zero chance that any member of his team would win. 'Maybe the defeat at least will drive home the importance of training and teamwork?'

"That is exactly what I have been trying to tell him! As they are, they will be lucky to last a minute against you guys and we can't afford to have _anyone_ out of action this close to the upcoming battle" Kurenai said with an exasperated huff.

Naruto quickly looked at Team 7 to see their reactions and surely enough, Sasuke was fuming at being slighted, Sakura was the same and even Kiba was bristling at being written off summarily.

"As much fun as it would be to wipe the floor with the bastard – _again_ ," Naruto jerked his head towards Sasuske before continuing. "- Kurenai sensei is right."

"How dare you?! You won against Sasuke-kun last time because you got lucky! You are just scared!" Sakura jeered from spot at Sasuke's side. Everyone else who remembered the day of the exam was staring at her incredulously.

"Okay" Naruto replied simply with a shrug and made to go into the house.

"Besides, there is no way I can lose to Hinata – no offense – I _was_ the top Kunoichi of our year!" Sakura finished with a smug grin.

Naruto stopped in his tracks at Sakura's words and exchanged amused glances with his team before shaking his head and going into the house. Kurenai just looked at Team 7 and Kakashi with a mixture of pity and amusement before following Naruto into the house with Hinata and Shino close behind.

Back in the yard, Kakashi was staring forlornly at the team in front of him – Sakura in particular 'Yep that one is going into the genin corps – if she manages to survive that long'.

"Let's just go back in and get something to eat and turn in for the night."

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The next day went pretty much the same with both Teams training on their own. Only, Kakashi was not having a good day with Sakura's incessant complaining about how stuck up Team 8 was. Sasuke's demands for new jutsus were getting just as frustrating.

'At this rate Kiba will become my favourite student – I think he already is! At least he is focused on doing what he is told. I probably should take his training more seriously. I wonder if Pakkun and the other ninken would be willing to teach him a few tricks?'

"Sakura and Sasuke, shut up and get back to work!" Kakashi snapped at the offending duo after having had too much of their whining. "If you had learnt the most basic thing first – obedience! – you wouldn't have been so far behind. Get to work! Sasuke start climbing! Sakura get to it if you wish to have any chance of improving your reserves!"

Team 8 on the other hand, followed the same routine as the previous day. The only difference was that after they were done, all four of them set out on a bug hunt for Shino. While Shino didn't/couldn't show it overtly, he was extremely thankful that his team was taking his interest so seriously and even participating with gusto. Naruto had somehow managed to procure a picnic basket of sorts for the team. That was a huge hit and after a relaxing afternoon, the Team made it back in time for dinner.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was tense with Team 7 glaring daggers at Team 8, who casually ignored them, which in turn annoyed them even more. Kurenai was acting extremely frosty towards Kakashi and that did not help matters either. The uncomfortable dinner dragged out for what seemed like forever and was about to end when all of them were accosted by Tazuna's grandson, Inari.

Inari's outburst had his mother trying desperately to shush him and Kiba was the only one of the ninjas to actually respond to him. 'Who the fuck actually fights with a – what is he again? 7? 8-year-old?' Naruto thought to himself as he witnessed the spectacle that Kiba's posturing provided.

"Guys, I am going for a walk outside. Might be late coming back" Naruto said to the team and walked out of the room while completely ignoring the still ongoing show. 'I honestly don't blame the kid for thinking the way he does. But Kami, is he annoying! … and to think I could have been him if I didn't have my powers … Sadly someone _has_ to be the food … The sooner we end this, the better … I need a vacation.'

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It was late in the evening and Naruto was at a loss for what to do. He didn't want to go back to Tazuna's simply because of the atmosphere there. 'I will sneak in late at night when everyone's asleep. Sensei is gonna chew me out though.' That left him with two other options – the town or the forest. The town he rejected because he did not trust himself to not start anything. 'So, the forest it is. Good thing tonight's a full moon then.'

'I really should do this more often!' Naruto thought elatedly as he felt the wind rush through his hair. After what seemed like years to him, Naruto finally had a chance to cut loose with no one around to watch him. Naruto was making full use of the opportunity and zipping through the treetops at his maximum speed - simply taking in the night air and enjoying the rush of moving so fast that the world seemed to still around him.

Finally, after an hour or so, Naruto decided that it was enough for the night and decided to cool off in a spring he saw a while back. On arriving at the spot, he immediately realised that the clearing which held the spring was not quite as empty as before.

Figuring that the clearing was big enough for two people, Naruto dropped smack into the middle of it. He had intentionally made his arrival a little noisy to give a bit of heads up to the other occupant. And what an occupant it was!

'Woah! She is the prettiest girl I have ever seen in my life – apart from Yuki – Holy shit! She might even give Sensei a run for her money in the looks department!' Naruto was trying his level best to not stare at the vision of absolute beauty in front of him. Said beauty turned around in surprise to face him with wide eyes.

"Peace! I did not mean to frighten you miss." Naruto said in the most reassuring manner he could manage and held his arms up.

"Who are you? What are you doing here at this time of the night?" the girl asked him in a curious sounding voice.

Naruto was taken aback at the seemingly fearless reaction to his presence – he even had a sword and everything. "The name's Naruto and I was out on a stroll. This clearing seemed like a nice enough place to rest so, here I am." Naruto explained as succinctly as he could before responding with questions of his own.

"So … who are _you?_ And what are _you_ doing here? There are bandits and thugs crawling all over the land." Naruto's tone conveyed his worry quite clearly to the girl.

"My name is Haku and I am out collecting herbs for my sick friend." Haku pointed at the basket on the ground before continuing with a smile. "And please don't worry about me, I have some training in protecting myself – besides, I am a boy." Haku had grown to enjoy these moments and surely enough Naruto did not disappoint.

"Oh, that's nice of you. Of course – Wait! What?!"

Naruto's flabbergasted expression was too funny for Haku and he started chuckling softly. He could already tell what Naruto's response would be and gave a series of pre-emptive responses.

"Yes. I really am a boy … No. I am not pulling your leg … I have always dressed this way." Haku rattled off quickly – those were the three most-asked questions.

"Uh … Okay, I guess. I am sorry, I didn't mean to offend …" Naruto said while scratching the back of his head sheepishly. 'Damn this is awkward! I still can't believe her … him!'

"Oh please, you have nothing to apologise for." Haku waved off Naruto's apology.

"I have never seen you around here before and what is a ninja doing here?" Haku asked.

Naruto's eyes narrowed for an instant before he realised that it was a perfectly reasonable question. "Was it the sword?" he asked sheepishly.

"The drop from the sky also helped" Haku replied with a small smile of his own.

"Well, I am here on business I guess." Naruto replied.

Haku was a sensor like Naruto and could immediately tell that the boy in front of him was as dangerous as they came. 'So, Kakashi Hatake called for backup and he must be it – or at least a part of it. How many more have come? If they are stronger than him, then we are in deep, deep trouble. Master needs to be warned … I can only hope that he doesn't pick up on my chakra levels.' Haku desperately prayed that his near perfect chakra control came through for him. He had no way of knowing if Naruto was a sensor and if the situation devolved into a fight, he was not sure he could take Naruto down.

"It must be fun …" Haku started and hastened to clarify when he saw Naruto's curious look. "… being a ninja, I mean."

"Well, it has its moments" Naruto replied with a shrug and took a seat on the ground and Haku did the same.

"Would you mind telling me of your adventures? What it is like to be a ninja? … There is so little to do here and I would love to hear your stories" Haku said with a hopeful expression.

Guy or not, those eyes were too compelling for Naruto and he gave in and started regaling Haku with heavily edited and watered-down versions of his adventures since becoming a ninja.

"Wow, that is impressive! So, you must be pretty strong then!" Haku was genuinely impressed even if it was pretty obvious that he wasn't getting the whole story.

"I am alright I suppose. It's not enough … I have to get stronger" Naruto replied with a small sigh.

"Why?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" Naruto asked with a curious expression.

"Why do you want to get stronger? What drives you? … Is there someone that you wish to protect? Someone precious to you? What do you wish to achieve?" Haku clarified.

Naruto went into deep thought at the question. 'Why do I want to get stronger? … I started out so that no one would ever look down on me again – to never be at anyone's mercy ever again. But things have changed now, haven't they?' The images of his friends started flashing in his mind. 'Now it's not just me that I am worried about … I am not alone anymore! … I have to get stronger for Ayame-chan … for my team … for my friends … for the old man … for my parents … even for Yuki – although she doesn't need it' Naruto chuckled to himself at the last bit.

"Good. You have a reason." Haku said softly to Naruto. He could tell from his Naruto's expression that he had figured it out.

"Yeah … Yeah I do." Naruto replied with a slight look of wonder on his face. "I guess I always knew it … I had just never thought about it so clearly. I was alone before … now I have people I care about and they care for me in turn … I _will_ get stronger for them."

"That is wonderful. Never forget that and you will become strong … _very_ strong." Haku said and got up to leave. "It's been nice talking to you Naruto-san. It is time I got back to my friend. He needs me just as your friends need you."

"Thank you. I don't know why I opened up to you like that but I am glad I did." Naruto said with a bright smile. "I hope we meet again Haku."

Haku's expression faltered a bit at that. He knew very well under what circumstances they would meet again next and he did not like the thought of that. He had taken a liking to Naruto in the short time that they had spoken.

"I am sure we will." Haku said and started walking deeper into the forest. 'And when we do, I can only pray that you don't think too harshly of me.'

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**The day of Zabuza's return.**

"All right, today is the day." Kakashi spoke to the assembled ninja. It was early morning and both Team 7 and Team 8 was gathered in the sitting room of Tazuna's house.

"What is the plan?" Kurenai asked Kakashi. Even if she had lost almost all respect for Kakashi, she couldn't deny that Kakashi was an excellent ninja and more experienced of the two.

"We all head to the bridge. Zabuza will definitely lead a frontal assault. Sakura should stay behind to protect the house." Kakashi suggested.

"Kakashi Sensei, if I may?" Naruto interjected. Upon receiving the go ahead from him he continued. "I would like to stay behind."

His declaration earned him a round of curious looks. "Why is that Naruto?" Kurenai asked.

"Gato's men will definitely attack this place. It fits his nature from what I have heard. Me and my shadow clones should be more than a match for anything that comes this way … and honestly, I am not comfortable leaving the lives of Tsunami-san and Inari in Sakura's hands." Naruto immediately rushed to complete his reasoning when he saw Sakura gearing up to screech. "I am also the fastest of the lot. I can rejoin you guys on the bridge in no time. You have Hinata and Shino … not to mention Kurenai-sensei … things will be under control." Naruto stated confidently.

"I see no issue with that. What say you, Kakashi?" Kurenai asked the masked Jonin.

After staring at Naruto for a while, Kakashi simply nodded. "The reasoning is sound. Naruto stays back." Kakashi said while ignoring the betrayed and outraged expression on Sakura's face.

'Cha! How dare he?! Kakashi-sensei too?! The reasoning is sound?! I hope Naruto-baka fails and Gato's men get him!' Sakura thought viciously, not caring that Naruto's failure could very well mean his death and that of Tazuna's family.

"All right. It's decided then. You have trained for this day. Stick to what you know and trust in Kurenai and I and we will win!" Kakashi said in the way of a pep talk and walked out of the room to prepare.

"Naruto, I know it won't be a challenge to you but please be careful." Kurenai said to Naruto.

"Of course, Sensei! 'Careful' is my middle name!" Naruto said with a silly grin. "But seriously, you guys take care as well. Zabuza is not someone to be taken lightly – if even half of what's written in the bingo book is true." Naruto addressed the last part to Hinata and Shino worriedly.

"We will be carful, Naruto-kun" Hinata said with a determined expression.

"You know something is serious when Naruto Uzumaki advocates caution … We will be careful." Shino said dryly and Hinata giggled softly at that.

"Yea, yea laugh it up!" Naruto said with a good-natured huff.

"Then it's time we moved out team." Kurenai said and with one last nod to Naruto, vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Don't worry about us, Naruto-kun. We will be safe." Hinata said and vanished in her own shunshin.

"I will send a few Kikaichu to warn you when the battle starts." Shino said and blurred from sight.

Naruto turned around and went up the stairs, unmindful of the wide eyes of the members of Team 7. He was still engrossed in his thoughts. He was certain that there was something that they were all missing.

'What the hell?! That was the Shunshin! Why hasn't Kakashi taught me that yet? How come weaklings from inferior clans know what I don't? I need to have words with Kakashi after this is over!' Sasuke, who had walked in at the exact moment of Hinata and Shino's departure, couldn't believe his eyes.

"It sucks … doesn't it, buddy?" Kiba asked Akamaru who was comfortably perched on his head and got a sad little yip in return. 'Why did I have to be stuck with this team? I have learnt nothing in the past six months and now I am going to face a legendary missing-nin. I just hope my luck holds this time as well.'

'So, they know a jutsu that I don't. Big deal! They are still not better than our team! We have Sasuke-kun!' Sakura thought to herself with a snort before leaving out the door.

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**A couple of hours later.**

Naruto was getting bored. 'Was Kakashi wrong? No message from Shino … No murderous house-callers … Maybe Zabuza got up late and is running behind schedule? … Maybe Kak – Wait! What was that?!' Naruto's sense had caught two weak unknown signatures approaching the house. 'Finally! Action!'

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"I can't believe I have been reduced to this!" the one-armed Nameless Thug (NT) #1 groused to his companion NT #47. Ever since his hand had been chopped off by that ninja brat, he had lost it all – his position in Gato's circle, his standing in his own gang and his fighting ability. 'I won't get a chance to be there on the bridge and get my revenge on that brat!'

"Cheer up, man. The way I see it, we have the better end of the deal. Easy pickings … and from what I have heard, the old fart's daughter is not half bad. No reason we can't have a little bit of fun with her before we end it." NT #47 tried to cheer up NT #1.

"Yeah! You are right! No reason not to have some fun … we will be doing her a favour. Showing her a great time before putting her out of her misery!" NT #1 agreed with a horrible laugh.

"Why is it _always_ rape with you bandit types?" Naruto said from behind the duo. He had reached the tree tops above them while the two were still a hundred feet from the house. He had heard the last part of their conversation and that was enough to seal their fates.

Naruto's sudden appearance startled the NTs and they spun around in shock. 'What the hell?! I didn't even hear the brat!' NT #47 thought worriedly. 'Another ninja … just great!' NT #1 backpedaled hurriedly – he was in no mood to lose another arm or worse.

"Here's the deal – I am going to kill one of you and let the other live. Now which is which will be decided by who the first one is to tell me everything about Gato's plan." Naruto stated calmly.

The flat and casual delivery of the threat had both of the thugs sweating. Even if Naruto appeared to be a child, they knew to be wary of him. Ninjas had a plethora of unholy tricks up their sleeves after all. However, NT #47 could not bear the thought of being threatened by a child and burst out. "You think I am scared of ya, brat?!"

"You should be" came the calm reply.

"Fuck you! Gimme your best shot!" NT #47 spat. 'Ninja or not, he is just a brat!'

A moment later, NT #47's vision shifted a bit and started swirling. 'What the fuck?! Wait! Is that … my body?!'

As NT #47's head rolled to a stop near NT #1's feet, the last thing NT #47 heard was the sound of a blade being sheathed and the words - "You don't deserve my best." Then everything went black and he knew no more.

NT #1 couldn't believe his eyes. NT #47 was one of the best fighters in his gang and he had been taken out in an instant. 'I couldn't even see the brat! Do all ninja move this way?!'

"I do believe it's your turn. What will it be?"

Naruto's voice shook NT #1 out of his terror and he started scrambling backwards.

"Wait! Wait! Please! I will tell you whatever you want to know! Let me live! Please!" NT #1 begged from his place on the ground.

"Go on."

"Do you promise to let me go if I do?" NT #1 asked Naruto.

"If you don't start singing right now, I will chop off your other arm and beat you to death with it." Naruto said with a scowl.

The thug on the ground started trembling even worse, which caused Naruto to sigh in exasperation. "Fine! I promise I will let you go! … Now start talking."

NT #1 offered up a small prayer to the gods above and laid bare everything about Gato's plan. How he had hired Zabuza … how they had had a falling out … and most importantly how Gato was planning on reneging on his end of the deal and attacking the bridge with his army.

After the story was over, Naruto thought for a while before turning to the thug and drawing his sword.

Naruto's action had the thug scrambling even further back. "You promised! You promised!"

"I lied." Naruto said with a shrug and leisurely advanced towards the thug.

"You can't do this!"

"Why?" Naruto asked and raised his blade.

"It's … It's … It's wrong!" NT #1 blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

The words, coming from a thug who had just been planning to rape and murder an innocent woman and her only child, were so ridiculous that Naruto's blade froze mid-swing.

The thug was mortified. Imminent death or no – what manner of last words were those for a career bandit? … 'Even so, the brat stopped! Did it seriously work?!'

"In case you were wondering … no it didn't work." Naruto spoke to the bandit with an incredulous expression on his face. "I am confident that you have set the record for the 'lamest last words by a bandit' in the history of banditry."

"It will make for a great story. As a reward, I will make it quick." Naruto said and in the blink of an eye drove the point of his blade through the thug's throat and out the back of his neck.

He wiped his blade clean and sheathed it just in time to feel a couple of Shino's Kikaichu land on his head.

'Talk about perfect timing!'

Naruto immediately created a small army of clones. He instructed two of them to Henge into Tsunami and Inari and take their place in the house. He asked the remaining clones to get the mother-son duo someplace safe and keep protecting them. 'With the amount of Chakra I put into them, the clones will last for a couple of hours … should be more than enough time to end it all.'

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The first thing that Naruto noticed was the mist. It was everywhere and made it difficult to see anything. He could only pick up scattered chakra signatures.

'Let's see, the biggest two – Kakashi and … Holy shit! No wonder they call him a Demon! The guy is all that and so much more! I can almost taste his thirst for blood! What _i_ s this?! … Good thing Kakashi sensei is handling _that …_ For now, they seem evenly matched.'

Turning his head towards Kurenai's chakra signature which was right next to Tazuna and Sakura's, he couldn't help but sigh 'Poor sensei! The mist has completely handicapped her. She can't even see in this shit – much less cast any genjutsu.'

He could pick up roughly fifty weak signatures coming from the direction he knew Kiba and Shino were in. 'Did Gato send in a bunch of goons to supplement the attack? … How many does he have waiting in the wings for his final attack that he can afford to throw away that many on this?' Naruto thought worriedly before refocusing on the situation. 'Half of those are either knocked out or dying … Shino and the mutt seem to be doing fine. I better send them a couple of clones just to be safe.'

After dispatching a bunch of clones Shino's way, he turned towards the final two signatures – 'Hinata and the Uchiha bastard.'

'This is not good!' Naruto immediately rushed towards Hinata's location. Whoever the opponent was, he was strong … _very_ strong.

Sasuke's presence was very weak and Hinata while not that critical, still felt pretty drained. What perplexed Naruto was the icy feeling of Chakra surrounding the people he was rushing towards.

A minute later, Naruto drew up short at the sight before him. A dome of … 'ice mirrors?!' … surrounded Hinata and Sasuke – the latter lying in a corner looking like an icy hedgehog. Hinata on the other hand was running around and dodging a hail of projectiles for all she was worth.

Naruto wasted no time and jumped into the middle of the dome and knocked away a couple of Senbon headed Hinata's way.

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"Naruto-kun!" Hinata gasped out, her tone a mixture of both relief and worry.

"Wassup! This masked chick giving you any trouble?" Naruto asked Hinata with a grin while pointing towards the image of the masked 'chick' in the mirrors.

"This cage is unbreakable and -" Hinata began worriedly and Naruto put a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.

"This cage hasn't met me yet." Naruto said with a confident smirk and just like that Hinata's worries started to fade away.

'That's right. If anyone is going to break through an unbreakable cage … it's Naruto-kun.' The situation had been getting steadily worse with each passing moment. First, Sasuke had insisted on fighting alone and after putting up a decent show ended up in his current state – but not before trying something that had pissed _Hinata_ off. Since then, she had only been dancing around and dodging the ice senbons of her opponent.

'Just like always … when everything seems hopeless, you just _happen_ to show up and chase my troubles away.' Hinata couldn't help but smile at the impossible blonde in front of her.

"From what I can see, he hides in the mirrors and shoots those ice senbons. Also, your words suggest that the mirrors are unbreakable … is there anything else I am missing?" Naruto asked Hinata as he created a ring of shadow clones all around them.

"Naruto-kun, he is _fast._ Far faster than anything I knew could be possible. He jumps between the mirrors at unimaginable speeds and can attack from any angle." Hinata warned.

"Now that we are caught up, I believe we should resume the task at hand." The masked person in the mirror spoke and immediately sent a barrage of senbon their way before jumping away. Naruto's clones in front of him immediately drew their blades and started deflecting the needles. Even so, the sheer quantity and the awkward angles of attack ensured that some of the projectiles managed to at least graze the clones and against shadow clones, that all that was needed.

The stalemate continued for a while. Naruto kept replenishing the ranks of his shadow clones who defended the original and Hinata with what was literally their lives.

After a while, even the calm and composed Haku started getting frustrated. 'This is absurd! How much Chakra does he have?! Even I am feeling the strain of keeping my technique up. I have heard of shadow clones and how incredibly demanding they are! For Naruto-san to simply keep churning it out without breaking a sweat … I know he is strong but even then, this is ridiculous! … Did I underestimate him?'

"Hinata, I have a plan" Naruto leaned over and whispered what was on his mind into her ear.

Hinata was taken aback at the suggestion. "Naruto-kun, _it_ isn't complete yet but I trust you. Are you sure it will work?"

"We won't know unless we try Hinata" Naruto said with a wince as he saw a clone get speared in the balls by one of the needles. The clones dying screech and manner of passing had the remaining clones cringing in unison and shifting their guards lower.

"I am ready when you are." Hinata said with a fiercely determined expression that looked positively adorable on her. 'Wait! What the fuck am I thinking?! This is not the time or the place!' Naruto shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on the plan he had come up with.

Haku knew something was up the moment Naruto's clones increased in number – the sudden rush of water slipping in through the gaps of the mirrors also helped solidify the suspicion. Realising that something big was coming up, Haku put everything he had into his speed and jumped between the mirrors so fast that it was almost like he existed in each of them at the same time – while sending liberal amounts of Senbon towards Naruto and Hinata.

'This is like a Hiraishin made of ice!' Naruto thought incredulously when he felt the same chakra signature exist near simultaneously in every single mirror all around him. Naruto stopped his admiration of the technique and focused on the one _he_ was executing.

Just as the needles converged on Naruto's position, he managed to finish what he was doing and the water snapped up around Naruto and formed a protective dome – and just in time! Ignoring the _obscene_ number of ice needles suspended in the water dome a couple of feet from his face, Naruto let out a small sigh of relief and just for the heck of it, intoned the name of his original technique - "Suiton: Mizu Kara" (Water Shell).

The truth was the jutsu was neither original nor his own. It was a derivative of "Suiton: Suijinheki" and its original name sounded so ridiculous that he didn't even bother remembering it. He did it slightly differently from the original and that gave him enough justification to rename it and call it his own.

Pulling himself out of the short trip down memory lane, Naruto turned to Hinata.

"Do it now Hinata! While my clones block her vision!" Naruto urged and lowered himself to the ground to provide Hinata with a clear path in the small dome.

"Hai." Hinata agreed and took her place at centre of the dome. After releasing a deep breath, she assumed the traditional Juuken stance before starting to spin in place.

While all this was going on, Haku was frantically trying to get a clear shot at the dome but Naruto's clones were making it impossible for him. 'If only I could get a clear line of sight, I could easily freeze the dome itself and trap them within.' Haku disliked taking lives needlessly and he certainly didn't want to kill Naruto and his friend. Haku felt that his objective would be served just as well if kept the two in front of him from interfering in his master's work.

All of a sudden, the clones in front of Haku started to pop and he was confused. 'The attacks are coming from behind them and – are those my ice needles?! … Wait a minute! What _is_ this?!' Haku thought in a panic and dove into the nearest mirror to observe.

While barbaric, sadistic and every other negative thing in between, Hinata's training had produced results. So much so that her father had even started training her in the use of the Kaiten – one of the strongest moves in the Hyuuga clan's arsenal. Naruto's plan was simple – First, he would suspend every last ice needle in the water dome and then Hinata would use her incomplete Kaiten to send them all back, _at the same time._

'Holy shit! Hinata is amazing!" Tearing his eyes away from his spinny teammate who was sending wave after wave of senbons back in every direction, he focused on the images of the masked Kunoichi around him. 'Let's see you dodge _this._ ' Naruto thought viciously.

Back in the mirrors, even Haku was sweating hailstones. 'This is new. I can't see a single break in her timing and all of the needles are coming towards me simultaneously. I can't even jump out of the mirrors. There is only one thing left to do – drop the technique and fight them on the ground.'

The thing that Naruto had been waiting for finally happened when he saw the edges of the mirrors start to melt. 'This is it! My turn now!'. Naruto immediately spawned a hundred shadow clones and had them facing every direction. "You know what to do gentlemen!"

Haku for his part, was panicking at his situation. 'This is bad! All of them are ready for me. No matter where I come out, they will see me and I will be swarmed instantly!'

Realising the futility of his situation, Haku used the last of flagging reserves to create a mirror outside the dome and shifted to it, in the hopes that his exit would go unnnoticed. The moment he dropped out of the recently made mirror, Haku felt his world turn upside down as he was thrown about like a ragdoll thanks to a few dozen "Fuuton: Daitoppa" crashing into him.

"Thanks for the heads up Hinata! Your Byakugan is freaking amazing!" Naruto said with a huge grin to Hinata who started blushing despite the situation they were in. Naruto didn't stop there. "And that Kaiten! You totally trashed her! Man, I can't even imagine how scary you will be once you actually finish the technique!" Naruto's words caused Hinata to take on a dangerous shade of red.

So, Hinata was very grateful for the diversion when a pained groan reminded them of the recently blown away masked ninja. "We should probably head there." Hinata suggested and Naruto nodded in agreement.

'Byakugan! Of course! How could I forget about that?' Haku thought lying in a heap of broken bones and pain.

"Is she alright?" Naruto asked Hinata who had her Byakugan engaged.

"She will live, I think … a broken arm … broken ribs on the left side … broken leg and – eek!" Hinata eeped and turned the reddest Naruto had ever seen her turn.

"What is it Hinata?!"

"S-S-She … N-No … H-He's a-a b-boy!" Hinata squeaked out once more and turned her face away in embarrassment.

"What?! I could have sworn … strange, this is the second time this has happened to me. Is it just a coincidence or is there something in the water around here that turns guys into crossdressers?" Naruto mused out loud as he approached the downed Kunoi-Che!-Shinobi.

"That seems a little farfetched Naruto-san." Haku chuckled painfully from his place on the ground.

"W-Wait! Haku?!" Naruto was staring with wide eyes at the now de-masked person in front of him. "I don't understand! You work for Zabuza?! ZABUZA?! … _WHY_?!" Naruto's voice conveyed all the disbelief he was feeling.

"It's too painful now to tell you the full story. You remember what we discussed the other night?" Haku asked and on receiving a nod, continued. "Well, he is my precious person. He is the only one I have. It is my life's purpose to serve him to the best of my ability … I am the instrument of his will and now … I have failed him." Haku managed to say between pained gasps.

Naruto for his part was having a hard time believing his eyes. He couldn't, for the life of him, reconcile the gentle person he had met the other night and what he now knew him to really be. Naruto was violently shaken out of his thoughts by what Haku said next. "What did you say?!"

"I need you to kill me." Haku said in a resigned voice.

"What the fuck?! I am not going to do that!" Naruto recoiled at Haku's 'request'.

"Naruto-san, I have failed my master … I am a broken tool now … I am -"

"AN IDIOT!" Naruto cut in vehemently.

"You don't understand …" Haku managed to grind out painfully.

"No! It's you who doesn't understand! We don't even need to fight! We have to get to Zabuza and stop this!" Naruto cut in.

"My master will not stop until he has fulfilled the contract … The Demon always gets his target." Haku said with a shake of his head.

"There _is_ no contract!" Naruto said while gesturing wildly. On receiving a confused look from Haku, he explained further. "Look, I ran into one of Gato's goons. We had ... a talk … long story short, Gato doesn't intend to pay you and is preparing to attack. In fact, he and his army will be here any moment now … Don't you see? No contract … No reason for us to fight!"

Both Haku and Hinata were stared at Naruto in shock.

'Why is Naruto-kun so hell bent on not killing this person? … From their interaction, it is clear that they know each other and are friendly … but, since when?' Hinata wondered as she looked between the two in front of her.

After an intense staring contest, Haku finally sighed and spoke. "We have to warn master … You are correct. There is no point in fighting anymore … I had expected the rat to pull something but not quite like this."

"Come on then." Naruto immediately bent and picked Haku up and slung one of his arms over his shoulder. "Hinata, will you please get the other side? … I will explain everything later. I promise. For now, please just trust me!" Naruto said when he saw Hinata hesitate – and for good reason.

Hinata nodded and slung Haku's other arm over her shoulders. Together, the trio started making their way towards Kakashi and Zabuza.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Haku asked with slight amusement colouring his voice.

"Huh?" came Naruto's confused response. His confusion doubled when he saw the tight expression on Hinata's face. 'Wait! _Hinata_ is pissed?! … But, what for?!'

"Someone?" Haku prodded.

'Someone? … The only other person there was … that's right! The Uchiha bastard!' Naruto was ready to kick himself. Unpleasant or not, Sasuke was unfortunately still an ally – as much as he would have liked to let him rot, most others wouldn't sympathise with him if he did.

"I am on it!" Naruto immediately spawned a handful of clones. "Get the bastard." The clones nodded and rushed over to where Sasuke was hopefully lying. 'I can't believe we forgot about him lying there … and we were shooting techniques all over the place!'

"How badly is he hurt? Will he live?" Naruto asked Haku despite himself.

"Oh yes. The entire time we were fighting, I never once used lethal force. All of my attacks were designed to disable only … It was only at the very end that it changed but by then it was too little, too late I suppose." Haku said nonchalantly while Hinata and Naruto exchanged a worried glance.

'That was him holding back?! … How strong is he really?' both Naruto and Hinata were floored at that bit of information.

"Why hold back?" Hinata asked.

"I dislike taking lives needlessly and my master simply asked me to make sure that no one interfered in his fight … Fortunately for the both of us, I was able to find a middle ground." Haku explained and the three kept plodding towards where Kakashi and Zabuza were still trying their level best to gut each other.

"Hinata, why are you pissed at Sasuke?" Naruto finally asked the question that was gnawing away at him.

Hinata had been praying that Naruto wouldn't pick up on it. She knew exactly how protective Naruto was and she had a fair idea of how he would react. Before she could think of a suitable response Haku started speaking.

"She is one of your precious people, isn't she Naruto-san?" Haku asked with a knowing smile and Hinata faltered in her steps. 'W-W-What?!'

"Yes. Yes, she most definitely is." Naruto replied with a blinding smile that had Hinata going weak in the knees. 'N-Naruto-kun!' Hinata had gone scarlet when Haku asked the question out of the blue, but hearing Naruto's unhesitating answer caused her to turn such a bright shade of scarlet that even Haku was concerned.

"Well, then it won't be easy for you to hear the next bit" Haku ignored the pleading expression on Hinata's face and charged onwards. "To put it briefly, the other boy refused Hinata-san's help and in a bid to get a clear field to prove himself, he basically pushed her into the path of my senbons ... It was extremely fortunate that she managed to swerve at the last moment and save herself from grave injuries."

"Is it true?" Naruto turned to Hinata and she flinched at the coldness in his voice before nodding once.

"Please don't do anything rash Naruto-kun!" Hinata pleaded.

Naruto stared at Hinata for a few moments before replying. "Don't worry about it."

Hinata promptly started sweating bullets. 'Oh no! This is bad!' Hinata shot a slightly reproachful look at Haku, who simply ignored it.

"Let's put a stop to _that_ first." Naruto jerked his head towards the sounds of battle.

A few minutes later, the trio managed to reach Kakashi and Zabuza's battleground – only to stumble upon the tail end of the fight. Zabuza was trapped by Kakashi's dogs and Kakashi was preparing his signature move – the Chidori.

'What is this monstrous power?! … That jutsu! … It hurts to look at it!' Hinata was flabbergasted at what she was seeing. At that moment, all three of them got a glimpse into why Kakashi Hatake's name was spoken in hushed whispers all over the elemental nations.

"MASTER! NOOOO!" Haku tried his level best to lunge forward and put himself in front of Zabuza but his broken leg gave way and he went to the ground in a heap.

"Oh crap! This is bad!" Naruto immediately burst forward and sent all the chains he could muster into the ground.

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**Roughly 30 minutes earlier**

'Not this again!' Kakashi thought in exasperation as the area was covered in a thick, impenetrable cover of mist.

"This time I will have your head Kakashi!" Zabuza's voice came from every direction.

Kakashi had unveiled his Sharingan the moment he felt the mist creep up on him. 'Dammit! I really need to get back to practicing with this eye.'

While the Sharingan couldn't actually see through the mist like the byakugan, it's super sensitivity to movement came in extremely handy because it could pick up on the slightest disturbances in the mist and give Kakashi _just_ enough time to avoid Zabuza's obscenely large sword by the skin of his teeth.

"How long do you think you can keep this up?" Zabuza taunted Kakashi from deep within the mist.

Kakashi didn't respond to the bait and opted to use a couple of Fuuton jutsus in hopes of clearing the mist. It worked – for a few seconds. The mist rushed back into the recently created gaps and it was like it had never been disturbed at all.

"Hahahaha Kakashi, did you seriously think it is that simple to counter the hidden mist jutsu?" Zabuza's amused voice rang out. "I sincerely expected better from you. If this is the best you've got … I should simply end this. You are not worth playing around with."

All of Kakashi's senses started caterwauling at the same time and he immediately dropped to the ground – and it was just as well that he did because the blow he avoided was so powerful that a line of trees behind him were neatly severed in half in an instant.

"Is that it? Is that all the great 'Sharingan no Kakashi can manage?" Zabuza taunted and dove towards Kakashi, his sword drawn back and ready to take Kakashi's head off. Unfortunately for Zabuza, Kakashi was made of sterner stuff and immediately spun around to block the giant cleaver with a kunai.

'His strength is monstrous!' Kakashi thought in genuine awe as maintaining the blade lock became progressively harder with each passing second. Kakashi reached behind him with his free hand and pulled out another kunai which he threw at Zabuza's midsection. Zabuza reacted instantaneously and broke the lock and jumped back into the mist.

The exchange continued like this for a while with Zabuza leaping at Kakashi from random angles and being beaten back repeatedly. He even started throwing in a few water clones into the mix. Kakashi immediately responded with his shadow clones and random barrages of 'Kunai Kage Bunshin' in every direction.

The stalemate continued for a while and it became amply clear to both the fighters that gaining a clear advantage was of the utmost importance if the fight was to end – especially in a fight between two evenly matched opponents such as them.

'Time to bring out the big guns.' Zabuza thought and immediately went through a string of hand-signs and launched a barrage of 'Suiton: Suiryudan' (Water Dragon Bullets) at Kakashi. It took a while but Kakashi started seeing patterns in Zabuza's attacks and responded by throwing his own into the mist, which showed no signs of letting up.

Every once in a while, a stray technique would manage to clip or outright connect with the two ninjas. It was becoming extremely difficult on both of their parts to keep up the momentum. Zabuza despite having the upper hand in the mist and his extreme proficiency in Suiton techniques was losing out in the purely ninjutsu-only battle. Kakashi wasn't far off as the strain of keeping up his sharingan _and_ spamming destructive jutsu was slowly but surely catching up to him.

Things came to a head when Kakashi's 'Raiton: Raiju Tsuiga' (Lightning Hound) managed to find and zap Zabuza and knock him out of the tree he was perched in. The hit however, came at a price – the same instant that Kakashi's technique connected, one of Zabuza's managed to find its mark. As a result, both Kakashi and Zabuza were thrown backwards to land in painful heaps of their own.

In the subsequent lull of the battle Kakashi finally received the sign he had been waiting for.

'This is it!' Kakashi thought in elation and immediately reached for a scroll in his vest and went through the hand signs for the summoning jutsu. Unknown to Zabuza, Kakashi had a piece in play from the very beginning of the match. A piece Zabuza had no way of knowing about – Pakkun the ninken.

Pakkun had been instructed to wait in the wings from the very beginning of the showdown and come into play once the first stage of Kakashi's plan was successful.

Contrary to popular belief, Kakashi had not spent the past week lazing about – well, he had … but he had also worked out a plan. He knew that the 'Kirigakure no jutsu' would render him effectively blind, sharingan notwithstanding. That left only two more senses that he could rely on – hearing and _smell._ That was where Pakkun came in.

Kakashi's kunai barrages did not hit Zabuza and served only to annoy him. However, the very first kunai Kakashi had thrown at Zabuza's midsection had nicked him. Zabuza hadn't even noticed it in the heat of the battle. Pakkun's job was simple – find a kunai with Zabuza's blood on it and then it was game over.

The other alternative Kakashi had was _letting_ the demon slash him and then tracking his own blood – 'Yea right! Let Zabuza Momochi slash me! Might as well jump onto the edge of his blade and save him the trouble of swinging it around!'

Now that he had Zabuza's blood with him, thanks to Pakkun handing him the bloody kunai, Kakashi could proceed to the next stage. He got the opening he needed when both of them got thrown back and he was the first to get up – by just a hair but that was all that was needed in a battle such as this.

Zabuza stood up barely a second after Kakashi and resumed shooting jutsus in his general direction but it was too late for him. Dodging a bunch of water bullets, Kakashi somehow managed to finish the summoning jutsu. "Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no jutsu".

The Hidden Mist Jutsu was an easy enough jutsu to cast but it was essentially a double-edged sword. It obscured the vision of both the caster _and_ the target but Zabuza had owned the jutsu, made it a part of him and had learnt to work around its disadvantages. He made it possible by honing his hearing to super human levels because of which he could track his targets without depending on his sight and fight at maximum capacity in the blinding mist. The moniker of "The Demon of the Mist" was not for show only.

Zabuza was mightily confused when his senses picked up sounds of … 'running feet?!' from the … 'ground?'. Before he could make sense of it, he felt a crushing weight descend on his back. Immediately after that, he felt jaws close around his arms and legs immobilising him. Looking down – the only direction he actually could – he saw a variety of hounds clamping down on him. 'Wait … are these ninja dogs?! … The bastard has a summons contract!'

Zabuza figured there was no point in holding the mist anymore and let it fade. 'If I am to die, I will do it while staring my death in the face – I won't fall shrouded in my own mist!'.

As the mist started to fade, a strange high-pitched chirping noise reached Zabuza's ears.

"This is my own creation. I call it the 'Chidori' … I figured you deserve nothing less than my best." Kakashi spoke as he came into view. To Zabuza it looked like the one-eyed bastard was holding a storm in his palm.

Zabuza, the Demon, had an unparalleled appreciation for the art of killing – he was in the truest sense of the word, a connoisseur when it came to murder and mayhem. So, when he saw the magnificent jutsu that was to be the instrument of his death, he couldn't help but let out a strange laugh. "YES! YES! If I must die – I can't think of a more spectacular way to go! … Kakashi Hatake's strongest move! … Come then you bastard! Do it! Just know that I will be waiting for you in hell with my sword drawn! … BRING IT!" Zabuza threw out his challenge, laughing in the face of his death.

'In a different world, you could've been so much more!' a part of Kakashi was mourning the fact that the world would lose a magnificent ninja that day.

Kakashi bowed his head in respect for a split second and without any further ado, charged the immobile demon with his arm outstretched.

Kakashi was less than ten feet from his target when, once again his finely honed senses screamed at him to abandon course and rightly so because the ground in front of him erupted in a blaze of gold.

'WHAT! … Wait a second! … CHAINS! … The only other time I have seen it was -" Kakashi's mind raced while he was still mid-air. Upon landing, he immediately started looking around to confirm his suspicions and surely enough his eyes landed on Naruto.

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"Kakashi-sensei! Please wait!" an obviously relieved Naruto gasped out.

"Naruto! What is the meaning of this?!" Kakashi was a mixture of confused and angry. 'He has Kushina-san's chains! … Why is he helping Zabuza?!'

"HE is not the enemy! … at least I am hoping he won't be after he listens to what I have to say." Naruto added with a nervous glance towards Zabuza who was looking at him with a shocked expression.

"Explain yourself! This instant!" Kakashi ordered, every bit the ANBU commander he once was.

"Yeah kid. I am just _dying_ to hear what you have to say." Zabuza added and both Naruto and Kakashi looked at him strangely. 'Did he … just make a pun? Now? … No, he can't have. Surely it was an accident!'

"You are in this for the money, correct?" Naruto addressed Zabuza directly and received a shrug in response.

"Yea pretty much … although killing that bastard over there would have been a nice bonus." Zabuza replied while jerking his head towards Kakashi. "Why brat? … The suspense is _killing_ me. Get to the point!"

'Alright yea. That is totally intentional.' Both Kakashi and Naruto thought and exchanged a glance.

"Yea about that. There isn't going to be any money." Naruto said dryly.

That bit got Zabuza's attention and he snarled at Naruto. "What the fuck do you mean by -"

"Exactly what I said." Naruto cut in. "It's like this -" Naruto launched into his explanation.

By the time he was done, Zabuza was hopping mad and looked about ready to start frothing at the mouth. "When I get my hands on the midget bastard!"

"What does this mean for our client, the bridge builder?" Kakashi asked. The fatigue from the Sharingan had started settling in. 'Dammit, I could have ended it then but Naruto just _had_ to interfere … but a part of me is glad he did.'

"I don't give a fuck about that old fart now!" Zabuza snorted.

"Then we have no reason to fight. Are you willing to agree to _and_ honour a truce?" Kakashi asked hopefully.

"Yea, yea … There is no profit in going after your sorry asses … But one day Kakashi! … One day I will get ya … Not today … But one day I will prove once and for all who the superior ninja is!" Zabuza said with a laugh and Kakashi mentally commanded his Ninken to let Zabuza go – but still stay around just in case. It was ultimately unnecessary as Zabuza was too tired to get up and be a threat to them – at least for the moment.

"Kid! Have you seen my … uh … assistant anywhere?" Zabuza asked from his place on the ground.

"Oh yea. Haku is back there." Naruto pointed over his shoulder. "He got pretty banged up in our fight but don't worry he will be fine in a little bit." Naruto added the last bit like it was the most natural thing in the world.

' _This_ kid beat _Haku_?! … What the fuck? … Is Haku losing his touch or is this kid some sort of annoying prodigy like that Hatake?' Zabuza was trying and failing to hide the widening of his eyes at the news.

"We should probably regroup with Kurenai and tell her of the situation." Kakashi suggested.

"Already sent a clone to her." Naruto replied.

"I want Gato." Zabuza said while struggling to get to his feet and failing. "Dammit Hatake! Because of you I am all banged up."

"We will have to be careful with how we proceed." Kakashi said while worriedly eyeing Zabuza. "We have to get everyone away from the bridge and make a stand. The number of men Gato is bringing with him is not a joke – given our condition." Truth was, the light headedness from overusing the sharingan was already making its presence felt and it was taking all of his considerable willpower to not collapse right then and there.

Just then, Naruto felt the clone he had sent to Kurenai disperse and its memories settling in his mind. "I don't think it will be possible. Kurenai sensei is treating _Sasuke's_ injuries and says moving won't be possible … I am going back for Kurenai-sensei."

Kakashi was taken aback at the venom in Naruto's voice when he mentioned Sasuke. 'It wasn't that bad yesterday. Did something happen?' Putting aside the thoughts of the two genins' relations, Kakashi spoke to Naruto in a worried voice. "Defending against that many on the bridge will be extremely difficult, Naruto. We have to come up with something else."

"Leave it to me and my team. We will figure something out. Just get to the bridge and …" Naruto looked up sharply and cut off mid-sentence. "They're here."

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"KILL THEM ALL!" Gato, who stood at the head of the army screamed at the top of his lungs. "TRIPLE REWARD FOR THE ONE THAT BRINGS ME ZABUZA AND HIS PET ALIVE!"

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"Sensei, there has to be at least five hundred of them!" Hinata said worriedly to Kurenai, who was still busy tending to Sasuke's injuries.

"This is bad! We will have to figure something out. Naruto is bringing Kakashi and … Zabuza apparently." Kurenai replied while eyeing Haku warily. Haku had been awake just long enough to see Naruto save Zabuza and had fainted shortly afterwards due to a combination of broken bones and chakra exhaustion. Hinata figured that it was best to bring Haku to Kurenai and that was how he came to be in Kurenai's care.

In the meantime, Shino and Kiba had joined them on the bridge after taking care of the advance guard that Gato had sent. While the both of them were relatively unhurt with only a few not-too-serious injuries to go between them, it was the first pitched battle they had ever fought in and were quite exhausted.

While Hinata and Kurenai were speaking, Naruto finally joined them with a pretty ragged looking Kakashi and Zabuza limping along in his wake.

"Thanks for the assist, Naruto." Kiba was the first to respond to his presence and got a nod and "Don't mention it" in return.

"What do we do Kakashi?" Kurenai asked worriedly and the both of them got into a hurried discussion about their next steps with others listening in with rapt attention.

While this was happening, none of them noticed Naruto quietly slip away and start walking towards the army of bandits that was getting ready to descend on what they thought were easy pickings.

"… None of us are in fighting condition Kakashi! The best we can do is retreat and lead them into the forest and pick them off in groups!" Kurenai argued heatedly.

"We could do that but it will cost us the mission. With us gone, the workers and Tazuna are defenceless." Kakashi shot back while eyeing the slowly advancing army and the civilians arrayed behind their exhausted group.

"We cannot match their numbers – unless Naruto uses his clones!" Kurenai sat up in excitement. "Wait! Where is he? It's not like him to be silent for this long!" She started looking around and gasped out loud when she saw Naruto leisurely walking towards the army – alone.

All at once, her worst fears came to the forefront of her mind – those of Naruto biting off more than he could chew and the like. "NOOOOO! NARUTO! GET BACK HERE!"

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"NOOOOO! NARUTO! GET BACK HERE!"

'She really worries too much.' Naruto heard Kurenai's scream and turned back only to give her a short wave before continuing onwards to come face-to-face with Gato's army.

"So, this is it! The great ninjas send a kid to face an army!" Gato laughed and his goons laughed with him.

"Blondie what do you think you are doing?" Gato asked Naruto, who had shown absolutely no reaction to his taunting.

"Something I have never done before. So, forgive me if there are a few rough patches hmmm?" Naruto said in the most neutral tone he could manage. There was something in his voice that gave Gato pause but his goons were too caught up in their mirth at seeing a lone child coming to face them and started jeering at him.

"ENOUGH! GET THEM ALL!" Gato commanded and the army began their charge from the opposite side of the bridge.

The ninjas who could at the very least move, hurried and stood behind Naruto.

"Naruto WHAT were you – are you thinking?" Kurenai began in an admonishing tone but changed track when she saw the expression on his face.

"I was thinking of calling in a couple of new allies." Naruto's statement confused everyone except Team 8, who were busy staring at him in varying degrees of horror.

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked in a confused voice. 'They are acting like they have seen a ghost!' Even as he was thinking that, a feeling of despair and hopelessness started settling within him.

Naruto turned to face him but didn't say anything and … simply held up a bloody finger.

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"WHAT IS THIS?!" Kakashi, already weakened, was on the verge of dropping to his knees under the unholy pressure bearing down upon the entire area. The others around him were not far behind.

"Kuchiyose: Onikuma."

 **"Well, well, well that was quick! We weren't expecting to be summoned this soon."** A distorted demonic voice dripping with blood lust and malintent sounded out from all directions and the pressure jumped up a dozen notches all at once.

'This is what Naruto-kun went up against?! … But where is it?!' Hinata was doing her best not to whimper as the worst moments of her life started flashing in front of her eyes. Kurenai and Shino weren't doing much better than Hinata and were gasping for breath.

"Not bad kid! Not bad!" Zabuza said with a strangled laugh from behind Naruto. While the pressure was crushing, the mental effects were not as pronounced in Zabuza's case. Here was a man who was fully comfortable with the horrors he wrought by his own hand.

'Might as well be bloody kindred spirits!' Naruto thought as he saw Zabuza's reaction to Mugen's aura.

Back with Team 7 genins and Haku, the situation was not looking too rosy either.

HaKu's mind kept flashing back to the worst parts of his tragic origins. He kept getting flashes of his mother's death. Unbidden, the memories of him massacring his father and neighbours were dredged up to the forefront of his mind. A voice at the back of his head kept on harping about his worst insecurities and fears. Dropping in and out of unconsciousness, all he could see was him failing to save Zabuza over and over and over and over again.

'MONSTER! THEY WERE RIGHT ABOUT HIM! HE IS A MONSTER!' Sakura was on the ground whimpering piteously as horrific images like her and Sasuke's death … even worse, Sasuke ditching her and marrying Ino flashed through her mind.

Kiba and Akamaru were suffering just like the others. Akamaru was curled up tight in Kiba's jacket and was shivering violently. The poor pup had never seen or felt anything like it. Kiba was praying to all the gods he knew of for the ordeal to stop. 'I was right about him! Something is very wrong with Naruto! If this doesn't prove it, I don't know what will!'

Sasuke who had just woken up after being stabilised by Kurenai, wished he hadn't. As he lay there, struggling to stay awake, he found himself trapped in a waking nightmare. He saw himself running towards his mother – 'Wait … Mother?! She is alive!' – only for a crimson eyed spectre to descend on her and rip her heart out. 'NOOOOOO!'.

The image shifted and the spectre took on Itachi's appearance. "I will kill you!" Sasuke saw himself rushing towards Itachi and stabbing him.

"I did it! I did it! I did – ack!". The scene shifted again and now he saw that he and Itachi had exchanged places and the knife was sticking out of his own gut.

"You will never catch up to me little brother! You will always be a failure! I didn't kill you because you were simply too weak to bother with!"

Sasuke somehow managed to extricate himself from the clutches of the vision and come back to the real world. He was tired, oh so tired but a voice kept warning him to not fall asleep, for worse than nightmares awaited him there. Sasuke knew to believe the voice and used every last bit of his strength to stay awake. In order to aid himself in the endeavour, he focused on the source of the terrifying power that gripped the surroundings – one Naruto Uzumaki. 'How is he doing it?! How is he so far ahead of me?! WHY?! He is no one! He is nothing! Then why?! … How does he have this power? … I want it! I want it to defeat Itachi!'

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"OI! Cut it out! My friends are off-limits and you damn well know it!" Naruto spoke, seemingly to the air and the pressure abruptly lifted.

 ** _"It didn't hurt them! Won't you let us have even a little taste? Such painful pasts … So many regrets!'_** A different but no less sinister voice rang out.

'Actually, this one is way worse! The first one at least seems like the type to crush you instantly; this one is a sadist! … But where are the voices coming from?!' Everyone was thinking the same thing.

"You know the damn rules!" Naruto growled and addressed his – shadow?

Kakashi and the others followed Naruto's line of sight and were confused – but not for long.

Even as they watched Naruto's shadow, it started to get rough around the edges and started warping – almost as if the _shadow_ was burning. As if the bizarre sight wasn't enough, a single circular eye made of white light opened in the shadow. That had most of the others jumping a dozen feet back each.

 ** _"Aww you are no fun!"_** the voice returned.

"No. _I_ am not … The fun is over there, in that direction." Naruto pointed towards the army that had stopped in its tracks due to the sudden onset of panic attacks amongst its numbers. "It's an all-you-can eat deal – just leave the shortest one with the weird hair for me." Naruto said while pointing at Gato.

 **"Really?! … All of this for us?! …** ** _So many souls! … We knew this would be a great partnership!"_** The different voices alternated between each other excitedly.

"Well, get to it then!" Naruto urged the Onikuma onwards and it _obliged._

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Gato knew in his bones that something had gone wrong … very, _very_ wrong. One moment the army was charging and looking ready to slaughter everything in its path. The next moment, an unholy presence settled on the area and most of the army went down to its knees – it was all he could do to not follow their example as well.

Then began the slaughter … if it could even be called that.

All he could see was a line of darkness stretch from the other end of the bridge, where the ninjas were holed up, to where his army ended. In front of his horrified eyes, shadowy creatures straight out of a madman's nightmares poured out and dragged the men back in. The horrific was sight was not limited to that alone.

The few souls that managed to wake up and make a break for it were captured by shadowy tendrils that enveloped them and entered their bodies from every exposed opening. The terrified screams of the men were bad enough but the abrupt cut off was even more terrifying. The shadows kept taking progressively worse shapes and kept finding even more horrendous ways to dispatch his army.

As if it was not bad enough, every once in a while, he could see a gigantic bear's head draped in shadows pop out and tear men into little bits of unrecognisable flesh.

Deciding that he had had enough of the horror show, he turned tail and started to run.

"What are these unnatural bastards?! … I am out of here! … They can keep this accursed nation! … I don't want anything to do with it! … What kind of unnatural demons do these ninja consort with?! … I am never coming back here!" Gato kept mumbling as he made a break for freedom and life – to no avail. He hadn't gone but a couple of hundred feet when he felt himself being yanked by the collar and lifted into the air.

Confused, disoriented and terrified he looked around and his terror worsened when he saw a shadow tendril attached to the scruff of his neck and hauling him through the air.

As he was being yanked through the air, he made the mistake of looking down. Not a single soul was left standing. Every last one of his more-than-five-hundred-strong army was either in pieces or lost to that demonic shadow. 'F-F-Five minutes to wipe out an entire army!'

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Kakashi and the rest stared in shock as Naruto's distorted shadow extended and covered the entire length of the bridge.

'It's looks a little like the Naras' techniques' Kakashi thought and immediately had to change his opinion when he saw the horrors pouring out of the shadow.

Everyone was staring in shock between Naruto and the shadowy carnage underway on the bridge.

"To be fair, I didn't know Mugen could do that … that's the shadow's name." Naruto said to the onlookers. All he got in return was a bunch of incredulous looks.

When the Onikuma made its presence known, all Naruto had to say was "About time he showed up."

Kakashi couldn't believe his eyes. 'What kind of summons contract is this?! I have never heard of such dangerous summon animals and how did Naruto come to be in possession of it?!' Kakashi thought while he kept on shooting nervous glances towards Naruto.

Everything came to an abrupt end and the army was no more – literally, because once they were done, Mugen sucked all the bodies, random parts and every last drop of blood into his own shadowy self. Within Five minutes an entire army had been decimated and every indication that it had ever existed erased.

While the ninjas were busy gawking at the sight, a lone shadow tendril deposited a terrified Gato in front of them.

 ** _"Here you go! This one thought it could run! Do with it what you will! … And thank you for the feast! We got more today than we could have managed in ten years! … Maybe, just maybe … teaming up with you was not such a bad idea after all!"_** Mugen spoke in his eerie voice and with a final swirl retreated into Naruto's shadow and vanished. The moment the Onikuma left, it took the horrible pressure with it.

All present let out a shuddering sigh of relief, not even bothering to check up on whether Gato was trying to escape or not. They needn't have bothered because the man was gibbering and muttering to himself, apparently dead to the world around him.

"That was something!" Zabuza said with an impressed expression on his face. Naruto ignored him and turned his attention towards his team.

"Guys, Sensei … you alright?" Naruto's voice held a note of uncertainty that Kurenai immediately picked up on.

"We have been through this Naruto … Nothing you do will make me think of you as _that_." Kurenai said with a sigh and Naruto felt like a weight was lifted off his chest. "Although I would prefer it if you never ever summon those demons around me … or any of us actually!"

"Yea, sorry about that! I didn't see any other option!" Naruto said with a sheepish grin. "But it turned out okay … didn't it?"

The glare he received from his teammates shut him up pretty quickly.

"I am banning you from meals at my place for a week." Shino said and got up, presumably to get some fresh air.

"Aw come on!"

"Be grateful I don't make it more." Shino replied with a stern glare and Naruto promptly shut up and let him pass.

"That was horrible, Naruto-kun … but thank you for saving us – again." Hinata said with a tired smile and got up to join Shino.

"That wasn't too bad, huh?" Naruto asked Kurenai and got an exhausted half-snort, half-chuckle in return.

Kurenai got up and ruffled Naruto's hair before heading towards the injured. "Only you Naruto … I will go check up on your new friend and start healing him … I still can't believe he's a 'he'!" Kurenai added the last part with a bemused shake of her head. Zabuza slowly followed her to get to Haku.

That left only Kakashi and Naruto standing in an uncomfortable silence.

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"So …" Naruto began unsurely after squirming under Kakashi's gaze.

"An army … Not even a year as a genin … How does it feel to kill so many people? … Do you feel any remorse at all?" Kakashi asked Naruto in an accusatory tone.

'Is he for real?!' Naruto was downright outraged at the question.

"What people? … Before I got here, I killed two other thugs. They had come for Tsunami-san and Inari just like I predicted. They were planning to rape and murder her before killing Inari … These are what you call people?!" Naruto responded in a cutting voice before continuing in the same vein. "Each and every last one of them was either a murderer, rapist or both … They deserved every last bit of what they got … So, no … I don't feel any remorse over putting down rabid animals."

"You didn't have to massacre them. You could have simply scared them away."

"And what would have happened then?" Naruto returned with heat in his voice. "We would have left and those bastards would have simply come back later to do what they liked! … Forgive me if I put the lives of my friends and innocent people above those animals'!"

Kakashi's whole demeanour shifted and he let out a tired sigh. "Good. At least you thought it through." On seeing Naruto's confused expression, he explained further. "Please Naruto, I know when such things are necessary … That doesn't make it any easier to witness _or_ commit it … Just make sure that you don't lose yourself to needless violence – no matter how righteous your reason may seem … I have seen too many shinobi walk down that path and would hate for it to happen to you as well."

Naruto started to calm down on hearing Kakashi's words – it was obvious to him that he had kinda sorta passed a test. "I will keep that in mind … Besides, I have my team and my friends to set me right if I ever go … well, the Zabuza route!" Naruto said with a smile and a thumb point towards the mercenary who was sitting at the base of a tree next to Haku.

"Keep that in mind and keep your friends close … you will be safe." Kakashi said as he started turning around but decided to ask one last question.

"Just out of curiosity, there is injustice and frankly far worse things than what you prevented here, all over the world … you can't stop them all. Will you embark on a personal war against the world? … What is the point when _all this -"_ Kakashi gestured to the bridge "- doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things?"

Naruto fell into a contemplative silence for a while and Kakashi stood watching him like a hawk for the slightest indications. When the silence dragged out, Kakashi decided it was enough and Naruto didn't really have an answer at the moment. He was about to turn around when Naruto started speaking again.

"If you had asked me this question a year ago, I would have simply said 'to hell with you and your world' … Now, things are different -" Naruto's start had Kakashi staring at him in interest.

"I don't know if _you_ know but I haven't exactly had a normal childhood …" Kakashi flinched violently at Naruto's words and Naruto didn't miss it. Filing it away for later, Naruto continued "What happened to me was not right but in the end … I turned out okay … ish. I know that there are many who have had it hundred times worse than I, without bearing even a hundredth of my load … I also know that I won't be able to set right all of the world's problems … However -"

Here, Naruto took in a deep breath and stared into Kakashi's eyes with an intensity that made him want to take a step back. _"- I will be damned if I let this shit fly … not if I can help it!"_

In that moment, staring into the determined blue eyes of the blonde, Kakashi couldn't help the feeling of déjà vu that came over him. 'Sensei! … He is your son all right!'

Kakashi decided that it was as good a time as any to reveal his connection to Naruto. "I am proud of you … You are definitely your father's son Naruto."

All the wind from beneath Naruto's was knocked out with that simple statement.

"W-W-What? … You knew him?" Naruto asked with a mixture of incredulity and excitement in his voice. Here was another link to his parents!

"I would like to think so … seeing that I was his student and all." Kakashi said with his signature eye smile. "I know you have a lot of questions … and I am sorry for doing this but we will have to talk later … _in private._ " Kakashi jerked his head towards Hinata, who was approaching the duo.

Naruto wasn't ready to let it go but he recognised the need for discretion. He nodded with a dissatisfied expression. "I will hold you to it."

"Of course. I will find you once we get back to the village. We can speak without any interruptions then." Kakashi promised and the both of them started walking towards Hinata.

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"I failed you, Master." Haku said to Zabuza the moment he sat down beside him.

Zabuza gave no indication of having heard him and kept staring straight at Naruto, who was busy talking to Kakashi. Zabuza's non-response had Haku worried. He was expecting snide comments, threats, to be let go or even killed … anything at all but this … this silence was new.

Zabuza for his part, was lost in his thoughts. While it was true that Mugen's aura hadn't affected him quite as badly as the others, it had nonetheless shown him things that he didn't know quite what to make of.

He had had a difficult and bloody life but for the most part, he had been the one doing the bloodletting – and he felt no regret for it. He wasn't called the 'Demon' simply because it was a cool nickname. He had _earned_ it. He had earned it with the rivers of blood he had left in his wake. He had earned it with the piles of bodies he had created – without remorse and without hesitation. He believed in nothing but strength – overwhelming and unparalleled strength. He saw everyone around him as either prey or tools to be used. Just as the thought solidified in his mind once more, he turned to Haku and _stared._

He had taken Haku under his wing because of his kekkei genkai and the potential he saw in him. When Haku had first come to him, he had nothing. No family, no friends and most importantly – no purpose. Zabuza had provided him with that and gained a fearsome follower. An efficient and ice-cold killing machine to carry out his will.

However, as time passed, without wanting it, the gentle boy had grown on Zabuza. Despite having what Zabuza called a 'bleeding heart', Haku had been the best weapon he had ever wielded – second only to his beloved sword. There had been many who had flocked to his banner hoping for a share in the infamy and the glory but none had stayed by his side out of sheer loyalty. Most he had killed himself when he got bored with them and the others died fighting in his name.

Zabuza understood from the get go that the demonic summons showed a person their greatest fears. Then why did all of his visions revolve around Haku's death? Surely, he couldn't be that attached to a tool. Tools were meant to be discarded once they outlived their use. Then why was he … _afraid_ of losing Haku? 'Unless … I stopped thinking of him as a tool somewhere along the line.'

"Master …" Haku began uncertainly and Zabuza who had had enough of his own thinking, snapped.

"Shut up! Do you think I am stupid?" Zabuza growled at Haku, who shook his head in confusion.

"Don't presume to decide for me. It is up to me to decide if you succeeded or failed."

"Of course, Master." Haku agreed submissively.

"You wouldn't be alive right now if I thought you had failed your task." Zabuza said and looked away uncomfortably while Haku stared at him in open shock. Being forgiving was not one of Zabuza's strong suits and this was the best he could do.

"I asked you to make sure that no one interfered in my fun … and you did it – although you got your ass handed to you by a brat not out of his diapers yet … _That_ was completely on you because I am sure that you weren't giving it your all." Here Zabuza looked at Haku accusingly and he averted his gaze guiltily.

"Be warned that this is the last time I will stand for this." Haku looked up in surprise at Zabuza's words 'Is he going to give me another chance?'

"You were right about one thing … You do need practice." Zabuza grumbled and closed his eyes.

"I will not let you down Master!" Haku was elated at the turn of events. 'I won't lose my purpose!'

"Shut up kid! Sleep and let me sleep!" Zabuza snapped and Haku fell silent with a smile on his face.

'I am getting too soft!' Zabuza thought to himself as he caught Haku's smile before drifting off.

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After Kurenai spent a couple of hours patching up those in need, it was time for the rag-tag group of people to part ways.

"I was sure you were going to kill him on the spot." Kakashi remarked to Zabuza as he observed the bound and gagged Gato at his feet.

"Oh, I would've … bastard still owes me money for the job … and reparations for trying to kill me." Zabuza punctuated his words with a light kick to Gato's ribs. "We are going to have so much fun together!" Despite everything, Kakashi felt a slight pang of pity for the midget but it was quickly extinguished when he remembered his numerous crimes.

"I am sure we will meet again someday Zabuza." Kakashi said by way of farewell.

"Count on it! And also count on my sword taking your head off when we do!" Zabuza replied with his version of a _friendly_ farewell.

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"Can you seriously not get anything better to do than work for that maniac?" Naruto asked in a petulant manner.

"Naruto-san, it takes all kinds to make the world." Haku replied with a soft smile. "It is what it is. You have your purpose and I have mine."

"Couldn't you get a better purpose though? … Come to Konoha with us." Naruto persisted.

Haku was touched by the offer. The two had known each other for roughly six hours – a significant amount of which was spent in battle and recovery. Despite that, the two had struck up a strong friendship. Haku was genuinely sorry to part ways with his new friend … perhaps his _only_ friend. The thought had Haku start a bit. Up until then, he had nothing except his purpose. To find something outside of it – especially a friend – was a novel experience and one that he was in no hurry to let go.

"Like I said Naruto-san, it is what it is … I am certain that we will meet soon." Haku said with a smile when he saw Zabuza picking up Gato like a bag and getting ready to leave.

"We had better." Naruto said with a slight glare before smiling and extending his hand. "Good luck on the road, my friend."

Haku did not hesitate and clasped the proffered hand in his own. "To you as well … friend." As he said that one word, Haku's face lit up in a brilliant smile.

Haku joined up with Zabuza and after a final wave of his hand, the mercenary duo and their recently acquired business tycoon vanished into the mist.

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The party that followed, was one of epic proportions. Every last person in the town had turned up at Tazuna's to show their gratitude to the ninjas who had freed them. With no thugs left to stand guard, a bunch of enterprising youths had even managed to liberate ungodly amounts of alcohol from Gato's warehouses.

The civilians who had witnessed the horrific slaughter on the bridge while extremely grateful, were also sufficiently wary in approaching Naruto. However, after associating with him for a while, the people started getting over their fear and Naruto was soon buried under admirers and well-wishers.

Naruto for his part was coping with the novel experience the best he could. Well accustomed to the antipathy from the civilian population back at home, the adoration of the masses was throwing his sense of balance off-kilter. Not knowing how to react to it all, he just let the people do what they liked. Soon he was being pulled into hugs from old ladies, receiving slaps on the back from the menfolk and he even received a couple dozen marriage proposals – some from women that were old enough to be his mother.

Kurenai, a drink in hand, was laughing herself silly at Naruto's plight. Even Hinata and Shino were watching with a mixture of pity and amusement as their seemingly invincible teammate was being run ragged by his fan club.

"I think I will lift the ban … he has suffered enough." Shino remarked to Hinata and Kurenai.

"Poor Naruto-kun. I think he would prefer fighting a dozen battles to _this._ " Hinata agreed with a soft smile.

Kurenai chatted with her students and Tsunami, who had joined them at their table, for a while before setting off in search for the source of the alcohol. 'This is some top-of-the-line stuff and I won't mind a few cases.' Unknown to many, Kurenai was a heavy-duty drinker with a love and capacity for the 'good stuff' that was second only to the great Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin. The fact that the booze was coming from Gato's stores eased away any pangs she might have felt about appropriating it.

Kakashi had stayed for a while and even managed to share a couple of friendly drinks with Kurenai before his fatigue caught up to him and forced him to call it an early night.

Of the Team 7 members, Kiba had decided to spend the evening in Shino's company. The two had fought back to back in a life and death situation and a bond had been formed. Soon the two were joined by Hinata and shortly thereafter by Naruto himself.

Sasuke had been in no mood to go down to the party but Kakashi had insisted that he at least show up for a bit. He had spent most of the short time that he stayed, in a corner with Sakura hovering over him. The food wasn't half bad and after the day he had had, he didn't mind staying back to take in some much-needed fuel. All of his appetite went down the drain and the food in his mouth turned to ash when he saw the attention Naruto was receiving. He tried to stick it out but after a while gave it up as a bad job and stormed out of the house towards the woods.

Sakura had tried to follow Sasuke but he had snapped at her and told her in no uncertain terms to leave him 'the fuck alone.' As a result, Sakura sat alone by herself at her table shooting nasty looks at Naruto. 'Did those people not see the evil powers Naruto used?! Cha! He lacks real power to face his enemies like a proper ninja and relies on demons like that. He is lucky Sasuke-kun was injured in his fight or else he wouldn't have gotten a chance to show off. And now Sasuke-kun is angry because of him. It is all Naruto's fault!'

A couple of hours later, the party started dying down and Tazuna started kicking out the guests indiscriminately. The good folk of Nami, undeterred by something as trivial as the lack of a roof over their heads resumed the party outdoors and continued into the small hours of the morning.

The remaining ninja in the house decided to call it a night as well and retired to their rooms.

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'You will never catch up to me little brother! You will always be a failure! I didn't kill you because you were simply too weak to bother with!'

"AAAAAAHHH!" Sasuke's enraged yell rang out in the quiet forest night as he punched a huge chunk off a nearby tree.

'Why am I not getting stronger? … Even with my Sharingan, I lost … I had to be saved by the Hyuuga girl of all people … How did she get so strong?! I remember her … She used to be a weakling … What changed?!'

Sasuke had rarely felt as helpless as he did in his fight against Haku earlier that day. Just when everything seemed hopeless, he could suddenly _see_ the hitherto invisible movements of his opponent. His confusion had lasted for only a few moments before the realisation sunk in. He had unlocked his Sharingan! Finally!

The pace of the battle shifted in his favour after the awakening of the Sharingan and Sasuke was able to keep up with Haku – until he couldn't. Haku simply upped the ante and Sasuke was on his knees in no time. He was certain that his end had come but the Hyuuga turned up out of nowhere and saved his neck. He was annoyed at the intrusion and felt insulted that his Sharingan hadn't been enough. His displeasure with his situation reached new heights when he saw that Hinata put up a better show than him with a combination of the Hyuuga style of fighting and strange manoeuvres that he didn't even know were possible.

"Where did she learn to move like that?!" Sasuke wondered out loud as he recalled the show Hinata had put on. At that moment, during the fight, his anger had won out and without thinking he had pushed Hinata out of his way to challenge the oinin by himself. His belief, that he alone would be enough, had been proven wrong just a bit later when Haku cranked up the pace and rendered him unconscious in a matter of few moments.

The next thing he remembered was waking up to his nightmare.

'It is Kakashi's fault. With proper training even someone as weak as the Hyuuga could become this capable. I shouldn't be stuck like this … That's it! It is time for me to find new people to learn from … With my Sharingan unlocked, it is only a matter of time before I pick up all I need to.'

Sasuke's mind immediately went to his supporters in the civilian council. While it was true that their power base had been weakened, they still held a lot of sway and more importantly for Sasuke – still had a lot of ninjas working for them. With his Sharingan, it was a simple matter of getting the council members to get their pet ninjas to show him their techniques. 'That will be a good enough start … certainly better than anything Kakashi has provided! … Soon, all will be reminded of the might of the Uchiha! … I will be invincible!' Sasuke thought with a triumphant smile and responding to his will, his Sharingan blazed to life in all its glory.

It was only because of his Sharingan that Sasuke could pick up the slight disturbance on the edges of his peripheral vision – not that it did him any good. One second, he was revelling in the dreams he had of the future and the next, _something_ wrapped around him and held him immobile. He was so completely frozen he couldn't even move his head. Before he could make sense of what it was that had captured him, the world turned on its head and he found himself suspended in the air upside down. The shock was so great that his Sharigan switched off on its own.

 _"One second -"_ a harsh whisper reached Sasuke's ears and he stilled his struggles to extricate himself. _"- One Second is all that I need to end your pathetic life."_ The voice continued. It definitely felt familiar.

"YOU!" Sasuke shouted in indignation when Naruto stepped out of the shadows. 'What is that coming out of his back?! … Chains? … Made of Chakra?! … What kind of Jutsu is this?!'

"LET ME GO YOU BASTARD!" Sasuke screamed at the top of his voice and got only a cold glare in return.

"Shut up" came the cold reply.

"YOU DARE -"

"Shut up." To Sasuke's shock and horror he felt a crawling sensation on his neck and the next instant a chain had climbed up and wrapped around his mouth rendering him mute.

"Did you think you could get away with it?" Naruto asked in a tightly controlled voice which nevertheless failed to completely mask the anger he was feeling.

'What the fuck is he on about?!'

"I can tell from your expression that you have no idea – that is actually even worse." Naruto muttered the last part to himself in absolute disgust.

"You almost _murdered_ Hinata! … and for what?" Naruto charged the bound Uchiha.

Sasuke could now recall very clearly his actions from the afternoon. A part of him could recognise that what he had done was wrong but it was dwarfed by the part that kept saying 'She should have known better than to get in my way!'

Apparently, Naruto could also pick up on it because the next moment the point of his Kusarigama was at Sasuke's throat.

"You stuck up, entitled little bastard! You really think you are untouchable, don't you?" Naruto's tone was a mixture of loathing and amazement as he took in Sasuke's stubborn expression. "How do you feel right now? … Can your Uchiha greatness stop me from taking your head off right now you bastard?"

Sasuke for his part had had about fucking enough of the mouthy little peasant. His anger flared and, although unable to speak at the moment, his Sharingan blazed to life once again and he turned the full weight of his crimson glare on Naruto. Although tied up and helpless, the surprised step-back that his captor took was like a balm to his wounded pride.

 **"Grrrr … That fucking bastard has already got those cursed eyes! RIP THEM OUT! KILL HIM NOW!"** The Kyuubi raged in Naruto's mind.

'Dammit fox! … Believe me I want to but I can't … and I am pretty sure you know why.' Naruto tried to placate the fox.

 **"DAMMIT BRAT!"** The Kyuubi's anger was so great that his chakra started leaking out into Naruto's system.

'Please calm down! I promise that the next mistake he makes will be his last!' Naruto promised quickly in a bid to stop things from getting worse and then he got a wonderful idea.

'That's right peasant! Laugh it up while you can … Soon you will know your place!' Sasuke was elated when Naruto jumped away from him.

"You know …" Naruto spoke from the shadow of the tree he had jumped into in his surprise. "You are not the only one with red eyes."

Whatever Sasuke had been expecting, a pair of glowing crimson eyes peeking back at him from the shadows was not it. 'WHAT THE FUCK?! … Is that the Sharingan?! … It can't be! … Wait -"

Before Sasuke could get a proper look, the crimson glare disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.

"I know that there is no reasoning with you … So, I will put it in terms you understand … Forget harming them … If you even _look_ at my friends the wrong way ever again, I will rip out your precious eyes and feed them to you … Kakashi Hatake, the Hokage … no one will be able to save you the next time." Naruto delivered his threat with a slight bit of Kyuubi's growl in his voice and _that_ got Sasuke's full attention.

His threat delivered, Naruto dismissed his chains in an instant and vanished in a shunshin. He appeared outside the window of the room he was supposed to be sleeping in and switched with his clone that was keeping up appearances through an expertly executed Kawarimi. The last thought he had before dropping off to a well-deserved sleep was 'This is not over.'

Back in the forest, the moment Naruto disappeared with his chains, poor Sasuke landed painfully on his head. "THIS IS NOT FUCKING OVER YOU BASTARD!"

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While the Konoha nin were asleep, the populace was busy deciding the name of the bridge and had planned a grand unveil before saying their final adieu to their saviours.

There were many names that were in the running – "The Resistance Bridge", "The Freedom Bridge" and the like. Some smartass who had witnessed the slaughter of Zabuza's army even suggested "The Bandit's Nightmare" and surprisingly enough it got a couple of votes too. In the end it boiled down to a couple of choices. "The Great Naruto Bridge" and "The Bridge of Hope" with the first option being the most popular of the lot.

It was to this heated discussion that the Konoha nin all descended, ready to depart.

"Ah! There they are!" Tazuna boomed upon seeing the assembled ninjas. The gathered crowd roared their greeting as well.

"The party's still on?" Kakashi asked with an impressed look on his face.

"Oh? No. No." Tsunami replied with a chuckle. "We are all gathered here to name the bridge and see you guys off … Although, I wish you could stay longer so that we could properly express our gratitude." Tsunami said the last part specifically to Naruto. He had saved her and her son's life after all.

"Tsunami-san, we will definitely meet again soon. I will be travelling all over the place on my missions and I will definitely come visit whenever I can." Naruto said with a reassuring smile as he saw both Tsunami and Inari tear up. In the time that Naruto's clones had spent moving and protecting the mother-son duo, all three(?) had gotten to know each other pretty well.

"So, what do you plan on naming the bridge?" Kiba asked Tazuna.

"Hehehe we are going to name it after our hero – 'The Great Naruto Bridge'!" Tazuna chuckled as all the ninjas stared between him and Naruto in shock.

"WHAT! NO! No absolutely not!" Naruto recoiled at the suggestion.

"My, my … Still a genin and getting monuments named after him … Aren't you special?" Kakashi teased from the side and got a glare in return.

Ignoring Kakashi's antics and Kurenai's amused smile, Naruto spoke to Tazuna and his family with unusual seriousness. "I am really touched by the gesture but it does not feel right. That bridge should be a symbol of your people and your story I guess …" Naruto started shuffling as the full weight of the crowd's interested stare landed on him.

Over on the other side Kurenai and Kakashi were both taken aback at the maturity and sensitivity Naruto was displaying. 'That boy never ceases to amaze!' Kurenai thought as she looked on with a proud smile on her face.

"… If you must name it for a hero … name it after the 'Hero-of-the-Wave' … Name it after Kaiza … Call it 'Kaiza's Dream' or something" Naruto said, now feeling thoroughly uncomfortable in the presence of a weepy Tsunami.

Naruto's words caused a wave of murmuring to pass through the crowd and the discussion continued for a while before Tazuna spoke again. "You know kid … I had a feeling you would decline and I would have to butt heads with those idiots again …" Tazuna jerked a thumb towards the crowd behind him and received some choice insults in return before continuing "… to come up with a new name. But you solved this one too!"

"All in favour?" Tazuna turned around and shouted to the crowd. The yell of agreement that followed had Kiba and Akamaru wincing in pain.

"That's settled then … but …" Tazuna looked at Naruto with a shit eating grin "I am a stubborn old bastard as you and many others have pointed out. If you won't let us name the bridge after you … We will name the gateway after you … 'The Great Naruto Gate' sounds good, huh?"

Tazuna's sudden inspiration was so well received that the round of shouting that followed sent Kiba to the ground in pain. Akamaru decided to cut his losses and abandoned his master and fled the room.

"Who says we can't honour more than one 'Hero-of-the-Wave' at a time?!" Tazuna roared to the crowd's approval once again.

"Let it go Naruto. This is more about them than it is about you." Naruto was stilled by Kurenai's soft voice in his ear. "You gave them their freedom and they want to celebrate that … Besides, if you keep this up, you will have many more monuments named after you … Get used to it!" Kurenai couldn't help teasing her student. Before Naruto could retort, she squeezed his shoulder and spoke in a voice so filled with pride that Naruto was at a loss for how to react. "I am so, _so_ proud of you!"

After a final round of farewells, the ninjas finally set off on their way back home.

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"… I am getting too old for this sh-stuff!" The Hokage quickly caught himself. 'At least they made it back in one piece!'

"I have a request to make Hokage-sama." Kakashi said to the Hokage and on receiving a nod, he continued. "I request that Naruto-kun be given a special commendation for this mission. He did save our lives and that of the townspeople single-handedly after all."

All present were taken aback at Kakashi's actions.

Kurenai caught Kakashi's single eye and gave a nod of agreement and gratitude. An ass, Kakashi may have been when it came to training his team but he was one of the most powerful and well-respected ninjas in the elemental nations. A commendation and that too one backed by the 'Copycat Ninja' himself was a matter of great honour.

Team 8 just smiled encouragingly at Naruto while Team 7 sulked in their corner – with the exception of Kiba, who flashed a double thumbs up to Naruto. 'Being creepy and dangerous aside … his clones saved my life and Akamaru's! I have no objection to whatever award he gets!' Kiba thought as he recalled how Naruto's clones had saved his neck.

"Well, from all that you have told me, it is clear that Naruto-kun has more than earned it … Done!" The Hokage made a note of it on the mission report and stamped it with his seal. "A commendation on an A rank mission for a genin … My, my Naruto-kun … get a few more and you might even beat Kakashi-kun's record!" The old man chuckled and the genins looked at Kakashi with various degrees of shock.

"You have done the village proud. Go and take some well-deserved rest … Dismissed!" The Hokage said to the two teams and they started filing out – only Naruto stayed back.

"What is it Naruto-kun?" The Hokage asked the blonde menace warily when he saw the unsettling smile on his face.

"Pay up!" Naruto said triumphantly.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" The old man tried to deflect.

"Ohohohoho! You don't get to wiggle out of it, gramps! You know very well what I am talking about!" Naruto said with a smirk.

"Are you sure you are not being too hasty? Are you sure you are ready for it?" The Hokage made one last weak effort and got a deadpan look in return.

After the silence dragged on for a while, the old man gave a defeated sigh. "Fine! Come meet me after office hours tomorrow night and you will get your precious Jutsu!" The very thought of _that_ jutsu in _Naruto's_ hands made him want to resign on the spot.

"Oi, come on Jiji! Don't be like that! It's not going to be anywhere near as bad as you think." Naruto said reassuringly and the poor Sarutobi looked up – and immediately wished he hadn't when he saw the grin on Naruto's face.

'No … it's going to be so much worse!' The old man despaired.

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"Home, sweet home!" Naruto shouted in joy after carefully placing his gear in the 'Weapons Closet'.

'Now to get some sleep and I will swing by Ayame-chan's first thing in the morning.' Naruto thought to himself as he wrapped himself in the expensive and positively decadent covers that he had treated himself to earlier on in the day. 'Kurenai-sensei sure has good taste when it comes to stuff like this!'

It was a few hours later and quite late into the night when _something_ woke Naruto up.

'Something is wrong.' Naruto immediately cast out his senses all around the house even as he made his way towards his gear. 'That's strange … I think there is someone out there but the signature is so _muted._ It doesn't feel alive at all … What could it be?'

Naruto had decided to sneak out of the _top_ of the house to confront the source of the disturbance. After coming on to the roof, he tried following the signatures and his eyes alighted upon two heavily cloaked figures standing on the branches of a tree and staring at the windows of his house. 'Talk about creepy … I need to invest in some security seals.'

Naruto kept watching and the two figures stood still as a statue – not moving, not speaking – just standing there _menacingly_. After a long while, Naruto's patience ran out and he decided to confront the two creeps but not before creating a veritable army of clones and hiding them out of sight – just in case.

"What the hell do you creeps want?!" Naruto began without any preamble as he dropped right next to one of the creeps and a clone did the same for the other one – both Naruto and the clone had their swords drawn and pointed at the creeps' throats of course.

If his sudden arrival had startled the creeps, they gave no sign of it and turned their masked faces towards Naruto.

'Wait! ANBU?! … What are they doing here?!'

"Naruto Uzumaki." One of the creeps said in a tinny, robotic voice that sent shudders down Naruto's voice.

"That's me … What are a couple of ANBU doing here, staring at my windows in the middle of the night?" Naruto asked, still not willing to let up. 'Something is seriously off about these two.'

All of a sudden, the ANBU the real Naruto was pointing at with his sword, lashed out with a kick so fast that he had no time to react and was sent flying back. At the same time his clone dispersed and all he got from its memories was a similar kick. Not one to give up that easily, Naruto re-oriented himself in the air and was about to jump away to get some breathing space, when the first ANBU closed the gap and swung a fist towards his head.

Naruto twisted in the air and allowed the fist to pass over his head. Landing on his left leg in an impossibly twisty crouch, Naruto shot his right foot upwards and caught his assailant square in the ribs.

Just as the first one was sent flying, Naruto immediately pulled himself into a defensive stance expecting an attack from the second ANBU. So, Naruto was a bit surprised when no attacks came from the second ANBU. She simply stood there like a statue and watched as the first ANBU reappeared.

"Care to tell me what the fuck you guys want?! … Why are you attacking me?!" Naruto asked in a mixture of rage and confusion. 'Are they from my _fan-club?_ But, to attack me in my home? Are they that desperate or do they simply not care for the old man's wrath?'

The first ANBU did not reply and attacked again. Naruto quickly spawned a couple of clones and went to meet his charge head-on. Naruto blocked an overhead kick with his arms and his clones used that moment to attack the ANBU from both sides. Incapable of defending from three sides at once, the ANBU copped a couple of hits and was sent staggering back.

'The bastard is tough. I will give him that much. Physically, my clones are almost equal to me … and I am not exactly handing out love-taps. Still, if this is the best he can bring …" Any further musing was cut short immediately as the clones popped and a whooshing sound followed by a crack reached Naruto's ears.

"Seriously? A whip?" Naruto asked the second ANBU, who had obliterated his clones from the safety of her perch on the tree branch. All he got in return was a stony silence. Creating a clone to keep an eye on the second ANBU, Naruto turned to face the first one.

"Okay! Enough lollygagging! Let me show you what I got!" With that gleeful declaration Naruto charged the first ANBU. From there on out, the taijutsu battle got extremely fast paced and dirty with both combatants matching each other blow for blow. The ANBU couldn't manage to land a single substantial hit on Naruto because of his unnatural flexibility and speed. Naruto couldn't score a solid hit because whatever system of fighting his opponent was using had a superb defence that was a bitch and a half to deal with. 'Kami! I need to study taijutsu styles! This is so fucking annoying!' as Naruto's flurry of blows was blocked for the umpteenth time.

Maybe Naruto's frustration gave it away or maybe it was a coincidence but both the fighters switched to Ninjutsu at the same time. Naruto decided to go with the most plentily available element of them all – wind. His opening gambit was a 'Futon: Daitoppa'. It was promptly countered by a fireball jutsu. Figuring that his opponent was likely to have a weakness to the Water element, Naruto started out with a barrage of 'Suiton: Teppodama'.

Naruto's opponent didn't even try to counter the absurd number of water projectiles headed his way and jumped out of the way. Naruto gleefully kept up the pressure and his opponent, for all his skill, was trapped in a game of never-ending dodge.

Naruto had to give up on bullying the trapped ANBU with his water bullets when a clone exploded right next to his face. The memories of the clone settled in and he quickly looked up at the second ANBU who was winding up for the next attack with her whip.

"Believe me … you don't want to play the numbers game with me" Naruto said with a smirk. "Here's why!" Just as the last word left his mouth, the clone army dropped from the rooftop and immediately descended on the two ANBUs. A part of Naruto was pissed that his opponents showed no response to the grand reveal of his army and the other part was flabbergasted when the whip-wielding ANBU shredded the clones surrounding her in a matter of moments.

The first ANBU wasn't doing too well and was getting pummelled left and right. For every clone he dispatched, he got hit by two more. The close quarters were proving to be a huge hindrance to him as he couldn't even draw his weapon, much less use any ninjutsu.

Naruto decided to leave the first ANBU to the tender mercies of his clone army and turned his attention towards the second one. Without any preamble, Naruto snapped up a couple of hand-signs and sent a barrage of 'Raiton: Raikyuu' towards the whip-wielder, who dodged them almost lazily. Naruto growled in frustration and chased after his opponent but to his great shock and mounting exasperation, the whip-lady stood her ground and got in a healthy amount of hits. 'Right … They are ANBU … No wonder they are better at this shit … This isn't her full strength … and it isn't _mine_ either!'

The whip-wielder knew things had gone to the next level and were likely to get out of hand when the crushing presence of the Kyuubi's chakra pressed down on the area. It was only a matter of few moments before the Aburame clan patrols got wind of this. 'Mission Failure. Naruto Uzumaki cannot be retrieved at the moment. His skills are far more advanced than what his file suggests. Control over the Biju chakra is an unexpected development. Recommended course of action – retreat.'

The whip-wielder promptly dropped a couple of smoke pellets and blurred from Naruto's view.

The next indication of the whip-wielder's location came when all the clones surrounding the first ANBU disappeared almost instantly. Naruto turned around just in time to catch her putting her whip away. Before he could resume his attacks on the ANBU duo, the whip-wielder grabbed her badly beaten companion by the neck and disappeared without a word.

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"Naruto-kun?!" The Hokage was taken aback by Naruto's sudden appearance in his office – especially since it was close to 2 a.m. "What brings you here at this time of the night?"

"Oh, nothing much … a couple of your ANBU just tried to kill me in my own home." Naruto said in a tight voice.

"WHAT?!" The old man couldn't believe his ears. "Tell me everything!" The Hokage commanded, now fully awake.

"I was sleeping when I was woken up by some disturbance, I think …" Naruto went on to explain the events of the night.

Once he was done the Hokage made a single hand sign and another ANBU with a tiger mask appeared instantly by his side. "Give us a description of these ANBU. What kind of masks did they have?"

"Blank ones. Pure white – no animals." The moment Naruto said it, the already tense atmosphere changed for the worse as the Hokage's face set in a stony expression. Even the ANBU beside him stiffened at that bit of news.

"What is it?" Naruto asked as he looked between the Hokage and what he suspected was an ANBU captain. "They are not your men, are they?" Naruto could pick up that much from the two men's reactions.

"Correct." The Hokage said with a small nod before turning to the ANBU at his side. "It is not too late. Get me Danzo _now._ Drag him here if you must … I have let him get away with far too much, for far too long."

The ANBU nodded once and left in a shunshin.

"Naruto-kun, the people that attacked you are not _my_ ANBU … They belong to an officially disbanded division called 'Root'." The Hokage explained with a sigh.

"And this … Danzo character is their leader? … Isn't he one of the elders? … What does he have against me? … Why send people to kill me?"

"I don't think that killing you was his intention … On the contrary, I am certain that he wants to recruit you …" On receiving Naruto's surprised look, the Hokage went on to give him a brief history about 'Root' and their methods.

"And you have allowed them to operate … why?" Even as he asked the question, Naruto could kinda see how a division solely dedicated to dirty work would come in handy in Shinobi politics. 'But … turning people into zombies like that?!'

"That is just it! … I had ordered them to disband a long time ago." The old man said to Naruto. 'He doesn't need to know the whole truth … Despite my order, Danzo kept the program alive and I did not interfere on the condition that he was not to increase the number of operatives under him any further … After all there is no way that the Ex-Root members could fully integrate with the normal Shinobi populace … Seems Danzo saw fit to disobey me even after the concessions I made for him … But, why now? … He couldn't seriously think I would not miss Naruto-kun's absence … Was this a distraction or a plan gone horribly wrong? … Is there another angle I am missing altogether … Is it -'

The old man was broken out his thoughts by Naruto's next words.

"You promised me that I would be safe in the village … and I promised you what would happen if you failed" Naruto said in a flat voice.

"Naruto-kun …" The Hokage said in a voice that conveyed both his wariness and weariness.

"However, I have friends and a life here now. I will be damned before I let a bunch of zombie bastards drive me away." Naruto finished with a determined expression on his face and the old man sighed in relief 'Thank Kami for small mercies! … I don't think I could have put up with this shit now!'

"I need security seals and the like … A good enough reason to jump start my Fuinjutsu training, don't you think?" Naruto asked the Hokage.

"I couldn't agree more … I will be asking the Aburame to increase the security in their district … Tonight I would like you to go straight to Shibi's compound … I will be sending a couple of my personal guards to escort you …" Two ANBU operatives silently appeared on either side of Naruto, who was sweating a bit because he couldn't even sense them until they were right next to him.

'Just how good are these guys?! … Hokage's personal guard … I guess you have to be the best of the best … Although, she looks familiar …' Naruto stared at the Kunoichi on his right. 'Yugao-san?! … After all, how many people have hair like _that?'_

"- Tomorrow you begin your long overdue Fuinjutsu training … Report here at noon." The Hokage said and all three recognised the dismissal for what it was and left in their respective shunshins.

**AN #2: So ... I should begin with an update on the job situation. Really funny story. So, two companies I liked came in. Me and my best friend both got a role in one of those two companies each. We were understandably on cloud 9. A week later a mail comes from the company that they are very sorry but because of COVID they will have to revoke the offer. So, yea not a great time all around.**

**AN #3: Over the period of my hiatus, I just kept adding scenes whenever I found the time and before I knew it, I had a mega chapter on my hand. The fucker is twice as long as one of my longest chpters so far. Couldn't find a good place to split it and thought it was best to post it as it was.**

**AN #4: There's a lot of stuff going on in the chapter so can't really point out each of them individually. If you find something interesting and would like to discuss it with me, I would be more than happy to. Feel free to reach me over PM or just use the review option.**

**AN #5: I hope you guys find and like the Skyrim and Spongebob references. Also, my Zabuza makes puns because ... reasons.**

**AN #6: Once again, please review.**


	22. Acting on your best behaviour

**Chapter 22 – Acting on your best behaviour**

He was really pleased with himself. This Spring had been the best one of his young life. He had a loving mate, healthy children and a good home. What more could anyone ask for?

The sun was setting and it was time to get back to his family. As he was approaching his nest, he was confused by the unnatural warmth in the air. Surely, the hot season had passed! The coming cold was what he was preparing for – none of it made sense unless … it was a FIRE!

In his panic, the handsome Skylark put on the greatest burst of speed he could manage. He knew he shouldn't have strayed that far from the nest in search of food. Beating his wings for all he was worth; he finally managed to reach his nest and sang for joy to find everything was alright.

His relief was short-lived for suddenly, the air started to feel warmer than it had any right to be. Before he could comprehend what was happening, a fog came over the area that caused his eyes to burn and his children to scream in agony. Before he could make a plan of any sort, the earth rumbled like it was the end of the world and the next moment his world shattered.

In his final moments, the bird had only one thought going through its mind – The little ones wouldn't know another spring.

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The all-encompassing, corrosive fog that had formed over the area suddenly bent outwards from a central point deep within itself – almost, as if it had been pushed by the hands of a _god._ The force behind the _push_ was so great that the very world shattered and huge chunks of earth and forest were flung about like leaves in a storm – completely obliterating the landscape for miles in all directions.

Once the cataclysmic explosion ran its course and the dust and debris started settling, the cause of the explosion – a strange orange-haired man with piercings on his face and ringed violet eyes finally spoke.

"Resistance in the face of god's will is futile. Surrender and come with me peacefully." The man said seemingly to no one.

The orange-haired man's declaration and subsequent demand got absolutely no reaction from anyone at all … until it did. Even as trees, dirt and chunks of earth were still raining down from the sky, there was a massive explosion from one of the larger piles of debris. The explosion was accompanied by a vile, malignant presence that threatened to melt creation itself just by existing in the first place.

Out of the newest explosion walked a menacing figure. The man or to be more accurate, the giant stood at seven and a half feet in height. He was clad in a strange red armour from head to toe, which currently looked a little worse for the wear, presumably due to being buried under tonnes of uprooted forest and earth.

To his credit, the giant only rolled his neck once to let out a series of cracks before wordlessly jumping into action. The giant blurred from view due to the unimaginable speeds he was moving at thanks to the propulsion from the honest-to-goodness steam furnace that was built into the back of his armour.

Just as his punch was about to connect, the giant was flung back by that mysterious technique his opponent had used the first time to bury him under a damn forest. This time however, he was ready for the blast. Just as he was flung away from the orange haired lunatic who called himself a god, the giant righted himself in the air and in a matter of a couple of seconds re-engaged his furnace to boost himself forward again. Just as he was about to connect yet again, he was intercepted by another person with face piercings and violet eyes.

 **"Han! Get back! NOW!"** a voice from deep within the giant, now identified as Han, shouted frantically.

Han decided to heed his companion's voice and immediately broke away and asked his tailed beast companion "What is it now, Kokuo?"

**"This person can absorb our chakra! Keep away from him!"**

"Hmpf … fine then. What do you suggest?" Han was truly perplexed by his opponents. Never had he imagined that there could be individuals who could summarily negate him as a fighting force. 'What manner of power is this? … On top of that, I have never seen Kokuo this scared.'

 **"Run, Han! Run!"** Kokuo pleaded with her Jinchuriki. **"He has my father's eyes … I don't know how or why … We cannot win here today! … Run!"**

"Never! Besides, I have a feeling that running won't do us much good." Han said warily as he observed the impassive expression on the first person's face.

Deciding that there was no point in waiting, Han started pulling on Kokuo's chakra and the pressure he was already exuding seemingly increased ten-fold. A layer of dark red chakra enveloped Han completely and extended from his body to form three tail-like chakra constructs. Once the transformation was complete, Han surged forward once more.

"I keep telling you … Resistance is futile." The voice of the orange haired man came from just behind him. Han, in his panic, aborted the charge and tried to jumped away only for his shoulder to explode in pain unlike any he had felt before.

'How did he move so fast?! When did he get there?!' Han thought in shock as he took in the sight of his assailant stepping out of a sort of rip in the air. Han tried to pull the rod that had gone clean through his armoured shoulder but found that he couldn't make it budge and to make matters worse he was soon losing the ability to feel or mould chakra.

"What is this?!" Han growled out loud as he saw what he assumed to be a rip in space, turn out to be the mouth of a gigantic chameleon who was slowly letting its camouflage fade. Han realised there was no time to stand around and be confused – especially, when his chakra cloak dissipated due to one hit from the strange weapon.

"I tire of this game. Come to me … Bansho Tenin!"

The orange haired man raised his hand and Han, not knowing what to expect, shot backwards as fast as he could to create some distance between the two. He might as well have not bothered because a sudden violent pulling sensation enveloped him and he found himself hurtling uncontrollably towards the outstretched hand of his opponent. It was a testament to Han's skill that despite being flung about like a ragdoll, something he didn't think was possible before that day, he immediately adapted to the situation – chakra disrupting rod in his shoulder notwithstanding. Deciding to utilise the momentum, Han moulded whatever portion of his Chakra he could access and put all of it into creating one almighty burst of speed as he hurtled towards the orange haired man.

"Impressive … It seems that I made the right decision by choosing to attend to you personally." The orange-haired man spoke before materialising another rod and plunging it straight into the oncoming fist of the steam juggernaut.

Han was pretty certain that his gambit would pay off and he would finally be able to land a blow on his opponent and end the fight once and for all. His hopes were crushed when his opponent used his momentum against him and created another of those rods seemingly from nowhere and stabbed it straight into his fist moments before he connected. Han went down in a pained heap as the excruciating agony from the brutal attack caught up to him.

 **"HAN! Are you alright?! … I … I can't heal you! … Those rods are disrupting our chakra!"** Kokuo spoke frantically in the Jinchuriki's mind. **"Run Han! Please run! You have to get away from here! For both our sakes!"**

'I don't think that was ever an option. We have truly lost this time, Kokuo.' Han responded wearily in his mind. It was getting more and more difficult to wield his chakra and the connection with Kokuo was getting weaker by the second. Looking down at the mangled remains of his arm, the battle hardened Jinchuriki couldn't help but cringe when he saw the rod had entered through his fist and exited partway through his upper arm in a ghastly eruption of blood, bone and tissue.

 **"Han! … HAN! … Stay awake … St-ay… -ake!"** The connection with Kokuo was on the verge of completely breaking up.

"I am sorry my friend … This is the end for us it seems." Han said out loud as he started slipping to the ground under the weight of his exhaustion and injuries.

"Do not despair … for your end – when it comes – will help bring about a new beginning." The orange-haired man spoke as he floated down from the air to land softly in front of the rapidly fading Jinchuriki.

"Rejoice for you will be the instrument of my divine will. Rejoice for you will help me teach this world … _Pain!"_

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"Naruto-kun, please just promise me you will be careful with this." The Hokage pled with the air of a man who knew that he was fucked if he did and screwed if he didn't.

"Hehehehe Jiji … come on! I promise! Gimme it! Don't ya trust me?!" Naruto was drooling at the sight of the Scroll of Seals that the Hokage was clutching like a lifeline.

The old man gave him a deadpan stare that showed _exactly_ how much he trusted the blonde menace before sighing mightily and unfurling the scroll. This time however he made sure to use an obscuring jutsu so that Naruto wouldn't _accidentally_ see another catastrophic jutsu and demand that it be taught to him.

"Fine! But you can study it only in my office. I am not taking a risk with _this_ jutsu." The Hokage said and leaned back to observe Naruto.

"Fine by me, Jiji!" Naruto said with a huge grin and started studying the scroll intently. After roughly a minute, Naruto created a couple of shadow clones and they also started studying the scroll alongside the original.

'OF COURSE! He has discovered the secret of the Kage Bunshin!' The Hokage started when he immediately realised what Naruto was doing. 'Asuma did mention that Naruto was using his clones to learn but he never mentioned that the boy had completely embraced all the opportunities the technique provides! Kami, the boy is scary!'

After roughly an hour, Naruto looked up from the scroll with a positively evil grin on his face and dispersed his similarly grinning copies.

"I take it you have learnt the workings behind the technique." The Hokage said even as he suppressed the shudder that went up his spine.

"Oh _yeaaaah!_ " Naruto said with obvious relish in his voice. "Clones go BOOM! … Mwahahahahahaha!"

The Hokage couldn't resist it any longer and face palmed – hard.

"Naruto … enough fooling around. All jokes aside, I hope you realise exactly how volatile a weapon the 'Bunshin Daibakuha' is. The very fact that I let you learn it carries with it the implicit expectation that you will be careful in its use … Are we clear on this point, Naruto-kun?" The Hokage asked solemnly, all jocularity gone from his voice.

Naruto knew that the old man's fears were not entirely unfounded and nodded back equally seriously. The past hour or rather three hours of study - if one was to count the clone-hours - had made the dangers of the technique very clear.

"Good. I am glad we are on the same page then … That being said, please don't demolish the training grounds." The Hokage said, slipping back into his grandfatherly persona.

"Don't worry Jiji. I got it under control." Naruto reassured him one last time.

"Moving onto the next item on the agenda … There is someone I would like you to meet." The Hokage made a single handsign and a few moments later there was a knock on the door.

"Naruto, I would like you to meet Yushiro-san." The Hokage motioned to the newcomer. The man that walked in looked like he was in his late twenties, had an average height and a slim build. His short hair was neatly styled and vertically shaded from a dull green to black in colour. His bespectacled lavender-purple eyes lent to the cerebral air he exuded.

"Hello. Pleased to meet you. I am Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto greeted the man politely even if he could not completely mask the confusion in his voice.

"Yushiro-kun is one of Konoha's foremost experts in Fuinjutsu and is in charge of training our Shinobi in the sealing arts." The Hokage explained with a slight smile as he saw Naruto quickly catch on. "He will be in charge of your Fuinjutsu training."

"I suppose he will do … I hope that he shares more than just his name with the Uzumakis." Yushiro drawled as he took in his newest charge. "Child, your lessons begin Monday. Report to my office on the second floor of this building at 9.00 am."

Naruto was slightly taken aback at how indifferent Yushiro seemed and more than a little irritated at being called a 'Child'. Naruto and Yushiro stared at each other for a few moments, each sizing the other up, before Naruto gave a slight nod. "I will be there … Yushiro-sensei."

Yushiro simply shrugged in response before reaching into his kimono and pulling out a scroll which he placed on the Hokage's desk. "If that will be all, Hokage-sama?"

Once Yushiro had left, the old man turned to Naruto with an expectant smile. "Well, what do you think of him?"

"Strange." Naruto said the first thing that came to his mind.

The Hokage chuckled on hearing Naruto's answer before continuing. "Yushiro-kun is an extraordinary individual. He is not a Shinobi but a civilian scholar with unparalleled expertise in the art of seals. I would go even so far as to say that there are some areas of Fuinjutsu where he can easily beat your godfather Jiraiya."

"That good, huh?" Naruto was truly impressed at the high praise the Hokage had for the Fuinjutsu scholar. Jiraiya's skill with the art was nothing short of legendary and to think that a _civilian_ was considered his peer … Yushiro had to be beyond extraordinary at the very least.

"I just hope that this doesn't go the same way as my academy days." Naruto was certain that it was only a matter of time before he got the 'Konoha-civilian-special package' treatment at the hands of his newest instructor.

"Oh please, Naruto-kun … give me a little more credit than that!" The Hokage said with a snort. "I naturally kept _that_ in mind when I picked your teacher. If you think Yushiro-kun hates you, take comfort in the fact that he is treating you exactly the same as he would treat everybody else."

The Hokage chuckled at Naruto's bemused expression before continuing. "You asked for no discrimination? Yushiro-kun hates _everyone_ indiscriminately." Naruto sweat-dropped at that one.

"The man cares for one thing and one thing only – Fuinjutsu … Although … That should put you in his good books by default." The Hokage added the last part in a thoughtful tone.

"Oh? And why exactly is that?" Naruto asked, intrigued.

"Well, you are an Uzumaki so he should be a bit warmer to you … but above all else, you represent to him the pinnacle of his beloved art!" The Hokage said with a strange smile.

On seeing Naruto's confused expression, he continued. "Jinchuriki, Naruto … You are the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi … You bear or as some would say, you _are_ one of the most complicated seals in all of existence … Arguably the greatest Fuinjutsu accomplishment of the Yondaime Hokage … Need I go on?"

"Don't I feel special?" Naruto replied sarcastically as he tried to ignore the Kyuubi's chuckling inside his head.

"Well … I suppose that's it for today. Take care when practicing your latest jutsu." The Hokage gave him a meaningful glance before continuing.

"Yushiro's students should finish the security set up around your house by this evening …" The Hokage said as he took in the contents of the scroll Yushiro had left behind.

Naruto caught onto the implied warning in the old man's words. It had been a kick in the pants to learn that Danzo had disappeared before the ANBU could get to him.

"Don't worry Jiji, I will be careful." Naruto assured the old man one last time and jumped out of the window.

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"… It will be done, Uchiha-sama! It would be my honour to assist the scion of the greatest clan of Konoha in any way that I can!" Tomoda – the head of the merchants' lobby – said in his greasy, obsequious voice.

"Hn!" Sasuke grunted, pleased that the man in front of him could recognise the honour being bestowed upon him.

Tomoda for all his soft outward appearance was an extremely shrewd man with an ego that dwarfed even his gargantuan size. He did not appreciate being treated like dirt but he bit down his irritation nonetheless and played the part of the subservient follower.

'Just you wait you little shit! When the time comes, I will show you exactly what happens to those who look down on me!'

Tomoda used to be a big player in a shinobi village's politics despite being a civilian and he strongly believed that personal strength trumped the power of wealth and influence only in monstrous amounts. After all, did he not rule the roost until a scant few months ago?

Blind fanaticism wasn't the reason he was being so supportive of Sasuke – Oh no. It was because Tomoda saw Sasuke as his ticket back to the glory days. After all, grooming the sole surviving heir of arguably the strongest clan in the elemental nations would provide him with a powerful pawn. It would take time and patience but that was something Tomoda had plenty of. For now, he would humour the brat until it was time to cash in on his investment.

"This is Tadao-san." Tomoda gestured to his right as a non-descript ninja of average height shunshined in so smoothly that it looked like he simply stepped out of the air. "He has been with me for as long as I can remember and I can personally vouch for his prowess as an elite Jounin. He will make for a wonderful instructor."

"Your lessons begin tomorrow. Your compound will do. Be ready by 6.00 am." His piece said, Tadao vanished as smoothly as he appeared leaving a surprised-looking Sasuke in his wake.

"He means well. Tadao-san has always been a man of few words." Tomoda spoke while staring at the spot previously occupied by the Jounin.

'Hn … He seems competent enough. He will be a good place to start.' Sasuke thought to himself even as he pushed down the irritation at being effectively ordered around. 'In time they will know their place … oh yes, they will!' Sasuke snarled to himself as the image of a certain blonde flitted across his mind.

"If there is nothing else Uchiha-sama, I will be taking my leave now." Tomoda spoke and got only a "Hn" in return.

'You will get yours you little shit!' Tomoda thought to himself even as he kept up the fake smile plastered to his face. 'Everything has a price!'

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Thursday Afternoon

"NO! NO! NO! FUCK NO!" Naruto screamed and tried to scramble away but Kurenai had a firm grasp on his collar. "Oi! Sensei! I am sorry for everything! … You can't leave me with those freaks! Come on!" Naruto was on the verge of tears as he tried to extricate himself from Kurenai's grip. 'I had no idea she was this strong!'

"Don't be a brat Naruto! It is an honour to be taught by him!" Kurenai said to the struggling blonde, a mix of exasperated and amused. 'Surely he is overreacting!' Kurenai thought to herself and glanced to the side before hastily turning away. 'Well maybe not' She admitted to herself with a shudder. '… and to be fair the rest of us had more time to get used to the _Blue Beast of Konoha_ and his antics … doesn't make it much easier to be honest – especially with the mini-me joining in.'

Kurenai waited for the genjutsu that had caused her student to have a breakdown to pass because she had been unsuccessful in dispelling it. She had tried her level best – tried – but nothing she knew worked. A part of her was genuinely curious and the other part was depressed at her inability to lift the genjutsu cast by two people who were rumoured to be _incapable_ of using genjutsu in the first place.

"Alright! Lee, it looks like Naruto will be joining us in our youthful endeavours from now on!" Might Gai, the sublime blue beast of Konoha and world renowned taijutsu expert, spoke to his disciple Rock Lee whiles striking his signature 'Good Guy' pose – flashing smile and all.

"Yosh, Gai-sensei! I promise that I will show our friend Naruto here how to stoke the flames of his youth!" Rock Lee responded to his seemingly older clone with tears in his eyes and a series of furious nods. "If I can't do that, I will run a hundred laps around Konoha – on my hands! … If I can't do that, I will climb the Hokage monument with nothing but my left arm … If I can't do that -"

"That is enough, Lee! I am sure that between the two of us we will not fail in helping Naruto usher in the springtime of his youth!" Gai continued with that damn smile still on his face.

"I believe in you Gai-sensei!" Lee exulted at the top of his voice, fresh tears pouring out of his eyes.

"And I believe in you, my precious student!" Gai responded in kind.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Oh, Lee!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"Not this again!" Naruto whimpered and curled up in a foetal position on the ground. "Please sensei … just kill me now!" Naruto pled to a catatonic Kurenai.

 **"Brat! I could try shooting a Biju-dama in your mind … It will probably render us brain-dead but at least we will be free of this hell!"** The Kyuubi whimpered in Naruto's mind but received no response. **'Is the brat a vegetable already?! … Can't blame him.'**

It had come as the greatest shock to the nine-tails when he discovered that he couldn't shut off the sensory link he shared with Naruto and as a result was forced to endure every single moment of the hellish genjutsu that his host was being subjected to.

 **'Fuck Madara and the cursed abomination that is his bloodline! … If I ever get free, I am going to obliterate those two and any who dress like them … This accursed village keeps breeding horror after horror! … Damn the tree-fucker and damn this freakshow of a village … Madara or no, this place doesn't deserve to exist!'** The Kyuubi swore vengeance on the village and its inhabitants in the throes of agony.

Unaware that the strongest of the tailed beasts was swearing vengeance against the two of them at that very moment, the master-student duo continued with their genjutsu for a good while before finally letting it disperse.

"Is … is it over?" Naruto asked hopefully after finally daring to peek out.

Kurenai, who was simply staring ahead with a glassy expression, nodded mutely.

"OVER?! Hardly, my youthful comrade! This is just the beginning for you! Together the beautiful beasts will show you how to stoke the flames of your youth through the power of hard-work!" Gai said with his signature smile.

'Surely that many teeth in a human's mouth isn't normal?' Naruto in his weakened and dazed state focused on the shiniest thing in sight. 'And why is it shining so brightly?'

"YOSH!" Lee agreed with his master with his customary enthusiasm and Naruto turned to regard him. 'He looks … I give up! … Maybe if I pretend that they aren't here, they will vanish?'

"Kurenai, you did the right thing bringing him to me." Gai turned the full force of his smile on Kurenai. "But … for me to accurately gauge him, Naruto here needs to demonstrate how hot the fire of his youth burns!" Gai declared and Naruto finally snapped to full awareness.

"Sensei! Let me be the one to help him fan the flames of his youth!" Lee asked with a salute.

"What a wonderful idea, Lee! Go for it! Show our friend the power of … YOUTH!" Gai said while striking yet another pose.

"I won't let you down, Sensei!" Lee started tearing up again.

"I know you won't my precious student!" Gai shouted back.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"L-" Gai was cut off by the sudden flurry of motion and a howl that sounded like it belonged to a wounded animal.

"SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP!" Naruto's outraged yell was accompanied by a flying kick aimed at Lee's head. 'I am not going to be subjected to that damn Genjutsu a third fucking time! I am going to kill him!' Naruto was feeling a bit unhinged … and who could blame him?

To Naruto's absolute shock, Lee reacted instantaneously and took the full brunt of his attack on his left arm. If that wasn't enough, in a show of strength that left Naruto speechless, Lee used the same arm to fling him backwards.

Naruto re-oriented himself in the air and landed like a cat – full twenty feet away from Lee. 'Did he just … throw me twenty feet away from him … with one arm?!'

"Yosh! Naruto I can see that you are just as eager as I to fan the flames of your youth!" Lee said with a blinding smile.

"Yea … Yea, let's go with that …" Naruto replied with a sweat drop. 'Kami! Just then, I put all I had behind that attack and _that's_ his reaction?!'

"Since you are so eager, let me not keep you waiting! … Here I come!" Lee declared and burst forwards.

It was only Naruto's speed that allowed him to keep his head attached as he ducked a kick which had enough power to crush a boulder. 'What the fuck is this?! I can feel the wind buffeting me every time he strikes!'

Lee was exhilarated that Naruto could keep up with his current level of speed. 'I think he might be even faster than me – for now, that is.'

"Excellent reflexes Naruto!" Lee praised and despite the situation he was in, Naruto couldn't help but let out a small smile. After all, this was the first time that he had come across such a capable peer. His musings were cut short when Lee did a handstand and started kicking him rapidly while walking on his hands.

'What the fuck kind of a move is that?! And how does he hit so hard?!' Naruto immediately broke away and jumped back to create distance between the both of them. Shaking his arms to get the blood flowing in them once again, Naruto sent a thanks to his ancestors and the Kyuubi for his regenerative abilities. Anybody else would have lost all feeling in their arms and body due to the punishment Lee was dishing out.

"Naruto, you will have to retaliate sometime … you can't just keep dodging and defending forever … although it is curious that you seem completely unhurt." Lee's confusion and suspicion was clear in his voice. "I think I know what's going on here …" Lee trailed off thoughtfully and that got Naruto's undivided attention.

"Oh? Do tell." Naruto replied warily. 'He couldn't have figured it out, could he? … I mean the clues are all there but …'

"Your flames of youth burn hotter than I had initially estimated!" Lee said with the air of having a 'Eureka!' moment.

"My … What?" Naruto was well past the point of caring by now and simply decided to roll with whatever craziness came next. 'Is this how others feel about me? … Nah, there is no way.'

At that very moment the heir of the Aburame Clan sneezed hard and caused the honeycomb stand he was building to collapse. 'Strange … I wonder why I suddenly remembered Naruto?' Shino thought about his blonde teammate for a few more moments before turning back to his task.

"If I am correct, then I owe you an apology Naruto. I underestimated you and was holding back." Lee said contritely before assuming his favourite stance – feet together, body half turned away from the opponent, one arm behind his back and the other in an open palm guard.

"Hey! Wait just a minute!" Naruto started feeling the onset of panic at Lee's declaration. 'He was holding back?! What the hell?!'

"No, no, Naruto. Allow me to match your flames with mine. Here I come!"

"Oi! You lunatic! Wait a minute!" Naruto shouted frantically but immediately gave in to his instincts and dodged. It was just as well he did because the ground where was standing, cracked under Lee's newest attack.

"Konoha Senpuu!" Lee gleefully shouted as he hurtled towards Naruto with his signature technique once again.

At that point, the spar devolved into a game of tag with Lee chasing Naruto all over the training field.

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"So, what do you think Gai?" Kurenai asked the taijutsu specialist, who was watching his students intently – he had already decided to take Naruto on as a disciple.

"I think that I will be more than happy to teach your student Kurenai … or should I say _our_ student?" Gai said with a bright smile.

"That's good to hear. I knew you wouldn't be disappointed." Kurenai returned with a proud smile of her own. "Still, I would like to know your exact thoughts about my … our student."

"It is clear that he has no training in taijutsu and as such has no form or system to what he does." Gai immediately switched to the 'Taijutsu-expert' mode. "His instincts, stamina and flexibility are far beyond anything I could have expected. His physical strength is definitely at least chunin-level or else he wouldn't have been able to defend against Lee." Gai concluded with an impressed expression on his face.

"Will you be training him in Goken?" Kurenai asked hopefully. Gai's favourite style of martial arts, the one that had earned him his reputation as one of the strongest ninjas alive, would definitely serve Naruto well.

"No." Gai responded simply.

"What … Why?" Kurenai was confused and a little disappointed. 'It was not right of me to expect that he would teach something so valuable to someone who is not his student after all. The very fact that he even agreed to oversee Naruto's training deserves our gratitude but still …'

"From what I can tell, the Goken will not suit him." Gai replied, unaware of Kurenai's musings.

"Just because it works for Lee and I, does not mean that it will work for him. Our style relies on our form just as much as it relies on our speed and strength. Naruto is not inclined that way. He needs a style that leverages his natural strengths … He is free-flowing, unpredictable … I will have to cobble together a system for him to follow … I will have to …" Gai started muttering various plans and alternatives to himself. The man's knowledge of Taijutsu styles was encyclopaedic after all.

Kurenai simply nodded along while trying to hide her embarrassed blush. 'I can't believe I was so quick to accuse him of being unwilling to share his knowledge … I should have known better.'

Both Gai and Kurenai's attention was drawn towards the spar when Lee was sent flying back by a particularly vicious barrage of attacks from Naruto. It seemed like he was getting back into the fight.

"Oh no. We can't have that!" Gai exclaimed before rushing towards Lee who had started unwrapping the bandages on his forearms.

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Going in, Naruto had been warned by Kurenai that Gai and his student were both strictly Taijutsu-only practitioners. The implied instruction was that, should he be challenged to a spar, Naruto was supposed to do the honourable thing and stick to Taijutsu only, no matter what.

Naruto of course had no problem to that – after all, the entire point of going to Gai was to improve his taijutsu skills.

Now, Naruto had no illusions about himself. He knew that he was a bit too powerful for his own good - especially at his age. He knew that he could be a pain in the ass – a lovable one, he hoped. He knew that if Kurenai could, she would put him under a genjutsu 24X7 to make her life more bearable. He knew plenty of such things about himself but there was one thing in particular that he was wishing with every fibre of his being was not true – The fact that he was irreverent but not dishonourable.

It was only because of his damned honour that he was not using any ninjutsu or his blades against the green _devil_ that was on his heels. With each passing second and every narrowly missed blow, the urge to blast Lee away with a barrage of ninjutsu was building in Naruto.

Deciding that enough was sufficient, Naruto decided to start enhancing his strength and speed with his chakra to finally be able to retaliate against his tormentor. He had taken to working only with his base physical level attributes to train them – using chakra enhancement only when it was absolutely necessary. _This_ qualified as necessary.

Lee could tell that there was something different about Naruto the moment he stopped dodging and actually going for countering strikes. Lee got all the confirmation he needed when a kick came out of nowhere and drove the air from his lungs. The kick was soon followed by a deluge of blows that sent him flying back to land in a pained and tangled heap of limbs.

However, Lee was the protege of Might Gai so, it naturally took a lot more than that to stop the 'Handsome Green Devil of Konoha'.

"Chakra enhancement? … I am glad you are capable of that. Due to my inability to use chakra like you, I rely on something else to fan the flames of my youth!" Lee addressed Naruto before assuming a new stance with both arms crossed in front of him - but not before quickly unwrapping the bandages covering his forearms.

'Okay. What fresh hell is this?! … He is barely fazed from my last attack and now he is threatening to get a power boost. I just might die if this keeps up … Where the hell is the senior freak?!' Naruto looked around in panic, hoping to spot Gai and beg him to come and put a stop to the fight.

As if his prayers were being answered, Gai suddenly appeared in front of Lee in a Shunshin. He wasted no time before landing a solid punch that sent Lee flying and had Naruto wincing in sympathy.

"Lee, I am disappointed in you. Were you really going to use _that? …_ in a spar?" Gai asked with an overly dramatic sigh.

"Gai-sensei, I am so sorry! We got caught up in our youth and I couldn't control myself! Forgive me Gai-sensei!" Lee, who was sporting a gigantic swelling on his head, started bowing repeatedly.

'This fucker is indestructible!' Naruto was staring in shock at Lee. 'Although, if these types of punches to the head are commonplace, it would explain a lot of their craziness.'

"Oh Lee, you know I can't stay mad at you my precious student! Just remember to not get ahead of yourself next time!" Gai said with tears streaming from his eyes.

"You are the greatest, Gai-sensei" Lee responded in kind.

Naruto and Kurenai, both knew what was coming next and simply prepared for the worst and clenched their respective buttholes in anticipation.

Surely enough …

"Gai-sensei!"

"Oh, Lee!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

After a few agonising moments, the duo finally separated from their manly hug.

'Hey, it's strange … This time wasn't as bad as the last! … Repeated exposure is the only way out I suppose' Naruto and Kurenai both arrived at the same conclusion.

"Naruto. I must say I am impressed with what I saw." Gai addressed Naruto directly.

"Thank you, Gai-sensei." Naruto returned in a strained voice.

"The immediate obstacle you face when it comes to enjoying your youth is that you do not possess a fighting style! But you need not worry! You have come to the right place!" Gai said with a thumbs-up and his signature smile. "Your performance against Lee has proven that you have what it takes to embark on a most youthful journey with us."

"That would be? …" Naruto trailed off fearfully.

"Why, creating a fighting style that will fan the flames of your youth of course!" Gai said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course." Naruto deadpanned.

"We will train together and pursue our youthful goal thrice a week. In the meantime, you are more than welcome to join Lee and I in our daily training exercises." Gai offered.

"Yosh! Naruto, it will be a splendid way to train … Fanning each other's flames of youth!" Lee shouted excitedly with stars in his eyes.

"We can take a call on that later … wouldn't you agree?" Naruto tried to deflect that as he saw the zealous glint in the eyes of the Master-student duo.

"Yes, yes. You are right. For now, let's just call it a day." Gai suggested and Naruto and Kurenai were ready to weep in relief.

After a few more moments of casual chit chat, the four parted ways with Kurenai and Naruto going one way and Gai and Lee going the other.

"So … that wasn't too bad, huh?" Kurenai asked tentatively and immediately shut up when she saw the haunted stare of her student.

"Well, I think the worst is over … It can only get better from here on out … I mean, how much worse can it get?" Kurenai tried comforting Naruto but kept getting flustered because of the hollow look he was giving her.

"Tell me something … Do you _hate_ me?" Naruto's voice sounded dull and completely devoid of hope.

"What … Why?!"

"You left me to those freaks knowing full well exactly how … freaky they were -" Naruto began heatedly before continuing. "- and now you actually said _'How much worse can it get?' …_ Really?!" Naruto ended the last part with an outraged expression.

Kurenai couldn't help the blush that came onto her beautiful features … After all, it was a pretty well-known thing that come what may one never said 'How much worse can it get?'

"I am sure -" Kurenai began only for Naruto to interrupt.

"Sensei, I love you but please don't complete that sentence. I don't want another cosmic curse on me." Naruto said with a huff even as Kurenai blushed out of embarrassment. "I am just going to say good night and see you later … provided the psychotic duo haven't killed me by then."

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BOOOOOOOMMMM

"This is not going to end well … for _anybody._ " Shino said dejectedly to the other two members of his team.

BOOOOOOOOMMMM

"But he looks so happy …" Hinata trailed off uncertainly. Shino's fears weren't entirely unjustified.

BOOOOOOOOMMMM

"You are worrying too much. I am sure Naruto will be responsible. After all, what's the worst th -" Kurenai abruptly shut up as she recalled the conversation she had had with Naruto the previous evening.

BOOOOMMM BOOOOOMMM BOOOOMMM

"HEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHA! This is ART!" Naruto's insane laughter floated over to his teammates – along with the sound of a gazillion explosions.

BOOOOMMM BOOOOOMMM BOOOOMMM BOOOOMMM BOOOOOMMM BOOOOMMM

"I am going home." Shino said in a voice that brooked no argument.

"But -" Kurenai began to protest half-heartedly but gave up when she caught the flash from another series of explosions. "- Go on. We will meet again soon … once _he_ has calmed down."

Shino simply nodded at the remaining and two and left without a word.

"We might as well get some training done …" Kurenai began uncertainly and glanced fearfully towards the still-ongoing racket.

" _Here?_ " Hinata couldn't help the incredulity that creeped into her voice.

"Oh, hell NO! We are going someplace else … Let's borrow training ground 10 for today." Kurenai replied after a moment of thought.

"Sensei, are you sure? Will he be alright if …"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM came the loudest explosion yet.

"Never mind …"

A few minutes later, Naruto turned around with a triumphant smile.

"Did you guys see … Hey! Where is everyone?" Naruto was confused by the sudden absence of his team. Even his sensory abilities couldn't find them anywhere close by.

"Hmpf! Their loss …" Naruto muttered to himself with a sniff.

**"Whatever you say brat … whatever you say …"**

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"… YOUTH! … - must join … the … POWER OF YOUTH!"

'Huh … What is happening?' Naruto stirred from his sleep the next morning, started to groggily open his eyes and turned towards the alarm-clock on the nightstand. 'Who the hell is making such a racket at … four a.m.?!'

"RISE AND SHINE! NARUTO-KUN, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING TO …"

"Oh no! no no nononononono! They know where I live! They found me!" All traces of sleep had left Naruto by now and the poor bastard was sitting up and hugging his knees to his chest.

The shouting continued unabated and showed no signs of stopping. To make matters worse, the Kyuubi had arisen and was screaming at Naruto to go stab them, kill them – anything at all to just make the shouting STOP.

Ever since the root incident, Naruto had taken to maintaining multiple caches of weapons all over the house for convenience's sake – a fact that Kyuubi reminded him of while demanding the blood of the spandex clad duo. For once, Naruto whole heartedly agreed with the demon in his gut and pulled out any and all weapons he could from under his bed.

"YOU CRAZY FUCKING BASTARDS! … _DIE!_ "

With that shout, Naruto's bedroom window burst open and an absolute metric fuck-ton of Kunai and explosive tags rained down on the source of his torment.

"This is a most un-youthful response to our invitation to join us on our morning training rounds!" Rock Lee shouted in protest even as he dodged or deflected every single weapon headed his way.

"LEE! Look at it as a wonderful training exercise!" Gai spoke to his disciple even as he batted away the deluge of weapons like it was nothing. "I suspect Naruto-kun has taken the initiative to force us to take our training to the next level! Look lively my precious student!"

"Of course, Gai-sensei! Your wisdom is astounding as ever!" Lee returned with star-struck eyes before turning towards the window and their _training partner._

"Forgive me Naruto! I completely misunderstood your intentions! The un-youthful one was me all along!" Lee shouted at the top of his voice.

"YOU LUNATICS! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE AT THE ASS CRACK OF DAWN?!" A PJ-clad Naruto was already stepping out of the window with a sword in one hand and his Kusarigama in the other.

"And also … I _AM_ TRYING TO KILL YOU!" Naruto was flabbergasted at how thick the duo was being.

"YES! YES! I see! You are trying to incorporate the proper roles into our training too!" Gai exclaimed, with a wondrous expression on his face. Turning to his apprentice he continued "LEE! Naruto has gone beyond the physical and is also training his mindset at the same time!"

"I see that now Gai-sensei! Naruto, you truly are …" Lee trailed off uncertainly when it became clear that Naruto was not listening to him and muttering to himself.

"You bastards … you absolute bastards" Naruto began softly, crouched on his window sill with his head bowed and the bangs of his hair shading his eyes.

"You are absolutely right! Hehehehe -" Naruto started chuckling creepily, "- This is just roleplay! So, do me a favour and don't move because today you will be acting out the following scenario -", Naruto suddenly raised his head and the unhinged expression on his face was enough to alarm even the clueless duo. "- HOW TO BLEED TO DEATH WITH A SWORD RAMMED UP YOUR ASS!"

"LEE! I don't think …" Gai swallowed whatever words he had planned on speaking next and gave a simple command to his beloved student "RUUUNNN!"

This was the exact scene to which Muta Aburame arrived after being woken by the explosions and shouting.

'Whoever is responsible for this is going to spend a week in the Aburame district holding cells.' Muta thought to himself. Any further musing was interrupted when he turned a corner and immediately had to dodge a bunch of fireballs.

'What -'

The fireballs were immediately followed by two spandex clad bodies jumping over him and clearing his head by millimetres – and unfortunately giving him a _very_ close up view of what tight spandex did to male genitalia … by literally rubbing his face in it. Even the unflappable Aburame demeanour couldn't withstand such horror and Muta put all he had into not crying out in agony and disgust … and failed.

Close on the heels of the accidental sex offenders came what Muta could only describe as a demon.

'… It turns out there is nothing out of the ordinary after all.' Muta resolutely turned away while silently wishing Naruto all success in his endeavour to kill those vile creatures.

'I will even help Naruto-san hide the bodies.' Muta promised himself before running off to take a bath … or ten.

'I hate Mondays!'

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"You don't look so good … are you alright?" Ino asked Naruto warily and hastily jumped back when he turned to her with bloodshot eyes and a haggard expression.

"No." Naruto replied simply. Being woken up by Gai and Lee at four in the morning and then chasing them around the village did not for a restful sleep make.

"Well, then what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping or resting?" Ino asked again in a concerned voice and got even more worried when Naruto growled at the word 'Sleep'. 'What's going on?'

"I have some business to take care of …" Naruto said while jerking his head towards the Hokage tower. "… What brings you here and … where are the lazy bastards?"

"The 'lazy bastards' are doing what they do best … being a bunch of lazy bastards! ... It's almost nine and I am pretty sure that not even one of them is up …" Ino said with a sniff. "… _I_ am here to submit a mission report that Asuma-sensei _forgot_ to submit weeks ago."

"Heh. Classic Asuma." Naruto said with a chuckle and immediately stopped when he saw the glare Ino was directing towards him. The two walked the rest of the way in amicable silence.

"Well … this is it. I am headed to the second floor. Buh-bye." Naruto said with a smile and turned towards the stairs.

"Hey! Come visit us sometime … and bring Hinata and Shino with you too." Ino called out from behind Naruto and received a wave in acknowledgement.

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"Hello? … Anyone here?" Naruto called out once he entered Yushiro's office and found it empty.

When he didn't receive a reply, Naruto decided to simply make himself comfortable and plopped down on one of the chairs. 'Guess he forgot …'

Naruto kept waiting – five minutes turned to ten and the ten turned to twenty. It was after half an hour that Naruto decided that he had had enough of waiting and decided to poke around the office. The office was almost as large as the Hokage's and had shelves stuffed full of books and scrolls running the entire length of the walls. The room also had multiple worktables with all the necessary implements required for calligraphy stacked neatly on them.

"Let's see …" Naruto started going through the shelves. "What the hell does that even mean? … Where is the starter stuff?"

"Go ahead if you want to lose an arm." A soft voice spoke from behind Naruto and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"GAAAHHH!"

"I have always wanted to see what the outcome would look like once the security features were activated … Go on." Yushiro spoke with a strange little smirk.

"Yushiro-sensei!" Naruto said once he got over the shock.

'I didn't feel his approach! … I know he is a civilian but how can he have almost zero chakra presence?!' Naruto was perplexed as he could pick up even the faint traces of the ANBU who were hiding in the room. There was clearly more to the man than met the eye.

"Where were you? … And, what do you mean by 'lose an arm'?!" Naruto asked while protectively hugging his arm to his body.

"Exactly what I said – touch the scrolls on that shelf and it will seal your arm …" Yushiro replied with a shrug before continuing. "… and as for where I was – it's none of your business."

'What the hell?'

"Well, since you are here … we might as well begin." Yushiro turned around and took a seat at the nearest workstation. "Grab the scrolls from the bottom rack."

"But you just said …" Naruto trailed off when he realised that Yushiro had been pulling his leg. With a huff he grabbed the indicated scrolls and joined Yushiro at the table.

"Before we begin, I need you to be absolutely clear about the situation here." Yushiro took of his spectacles and continued in a very supercilious manner. "This is not the academy so please do not expect me to hold your hand … The art of sealing is very demanding and very volatile … I need you to obey all my instructions to the letter as and when I issue them … Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Naruto replied in a neutral voice as he consciously pushed down any irritation he was feeling due to Yushiro's attitude. Naruto was not sure but for a moment it felt like there was a glimmer of satisfaction in Yushiro's eyes.

"Well, if that's settled … let's begin." At this point Yushiro put his glasses back on and pushed the bridge with two fingers to adjust them and the lenses shifted so that they turned opaque from the reflected light.

'So cheesy … sheesh!'

"Did you say something?" Yushiro looked up suspiciously at Naruto.

"Nope."

"Hmmm … All right … So, tell me, what do you know of Fuinjutsu?" Yushiro asked Naruto going into full 'professor' mode.

The question actually made Naruto pause for a second. All he knew about Fuinjutsu was that it could be used to seal and unseal stuff as the name suggested. Apart from that the same discipline could b used to create a variety of effects like summoning, security seals, explosive tags, barriers and the like. In fact, it was the basis of the legendary 'Hiraishin no Jutsu' as well. So, what was it exactly?

Naruto told Yushiro all he knew and awaited his reply.

"Typical meat headed answer …" Yushiro said with a sigh while ignoring the bristling blonde in front of him. "You gave me examples of its uses … You didn't answer the _What._ "

"Never mind. Think about it this way … When you weave your hand signs for a jutsu, what exactly are you doing?" Yushiro asked.

"Moulding the Chakra and telling it how to act?" Naruto ventured.

"More or less … When you mould the chakra, you tell it to flow through a certain pattern … It is the same with Fuinjutsu … You create a pathway through which chakra can flow and give you the desired result … Then where is the difference?" Yushiro prompted yet again.

"One is internal and the other is external?" Naruto ventured again.

"Yes … but also not always – there are a few examples of internal seals. The difference is a bit more subtle … in ninjutsu you have to actively create and maintain the route for your chakra but it is not so in Fuinjutsu … You can teach chakra how and when to act – and power it externally … Properly executed, it can even negate the need for any chakra reserve in the user provided he has a chakra source handy." Yushiro finally took a deep breath after his long-winded explanation.

"Basically, Fuinjutsu can be whatever you want it to be."

"Understood, sensei." Naruto replied with a firm nod.

"First and most important lesson – calligraphy." Yushiro started rummaging in the pile of scrolls Naruto had dumped on the workstation and pulled out the one he was looking for.

"What … as in handwriting practice?" Naruto couldn't keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Yes … the _handwriting practice_ is the only thing which can prevent failure or even death." Yushiro said with another smirk. "Let me make this very clear … Fuinjutsu demands perfection in every stroke of every single character you write down. The pathways have to be exact because you do not have the luxury of your mind and body subconsciously making the adjustments, like they do in the case of ninjutsu."

After receiving a nod from Naruto, Yushiro continued. "In case of your ninjutsu your internal chakra network absorbs the fluctuations in chakra and disperses them safely … relatively at least. In fuinjutsu, all the insulation for your chakra is provided by the lines of the Kanji itself. Therefore, the slightest mistake can result in failure. Sometimes there can be a small fire and sometimes you can lose your very soul … practice or don't, the choice is yours." Yushiro ended with a shrug.

"Sheesh! Okay! Okay! I get it!" Naruto grabbed the scroll Yushiro was holding out and thus began his first lesson in Fuinjutsu.

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'Man! This Yushiro-sensei is gonna be the death of me! But thank Kami for shadow clones … Writing is just muscle memory! I got this!' Naruto thought to himself after Fuinjutsu class let out. Just as he came on to the main street, he spotted a familiar figure. 'Is that …'

"Oi! Hold up! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted as he rushed towards the masked jonin who was currently engrossed in his porn – while walking down the main street.

"Huh? … Oh hey, Naruto." Kakashi greeted Naruto.

"So? … I thought we were going to talk once we got back … Where were you?!" Naruto demanded of Kakashi once he caught up to him.

"Uhhhh …" Kakashi was not quite sure what to say. Truth was, he wanted to have the promised talk with Naruto but every time he thought of going to Naruto, he would get cold feet and postpone it. 'Might as well get it over with.'

"Well, it doesn't really matter … I found you so come on, spill!" Naruto said, excited at the prospect of knowing more about his parents.

"Let's go somewhere private … Come on, follow me." Kakashi put his beloved smut away and started roof surfing with Naruto hot on his heels. The duo finally came to a stop at the Konoha memorial stone.

"I suppose this is quiet enough …" Naruto said uncertainly.

"I am sorry. I know it might come across a bit odd …" Kakashi made a sweeping gesture towards the Memorial stone and the cemetery that was below them. "… but this is where I come to think."

"So … uh …" Naruto trailed off awkwardly. Now that he had gotten a hold of the scarecrow, he was at a loss about how to proceed.

"I know exactly what you are feeling …" Kakashi said with his signature eye-smile as he took in the fidgeting blonde by his side. "… This was the exact reason it took me so long to come to you."

For some strange reason, Kakashi felt better when he saw that he wasn't the only one who was nervous and that finally allowed him to broach the topic.

"I suppose I should begin at the very … beginning." Kakashi said sheepishly and took a seat at the base of a nearby tree and motioned for Naruto to join him. Once the two were seated, Kakashi launched into his story, starting all the way from the day of Team Minato's formation.

Kakashi felt like kicking himself when he saw the longing expression on Naruto's face as he went deeper and deeper into his recollections. 'Dammit! I should have done this sooner!'

Naruto was overjoyed when he learnt that Kakashi knew his mother well. Every time the Hokage had talked about his parents, he only had stories of his father and did not mention much of his mother except to say that she was an exceptional kunoichi. The duo kept chatting for what felt like forever but in truth was only a couple of hours.

"I think that's enough for today … My voice will crack if I talk anymore …" Kakashi pled once he reached the part of the story when Kushina got pregnant with Naruto. The reasons were two-fold – he _actually_ was tired from speaking so much … and even now, years later, he couldn't stop blaming himself for not being there to protect Kushina and Naruto.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said in a soft voice and in that moment, he looked so vulnerable that Kakashi took an oath right then and there to do protect his sensei's child no matter what. 'I have failed everyone I have known before … but please Kami, just this once …'

"No … Thank _you,_ Naruto … I needed this just as much as you did." Kakashi replied with a bitter sweet smile … not that anyone could tell. "I promise to tell you the rest of the story sometime soon … and this time you won't have to come looking for me."

Naruto simply nodded in reply and the two started walking back to the main village area at a leisurely pace.

"Naruto … I also wanted to apologise." Kakashi couldn't hold it in any longer.

"What for?" Naruto had an inkling where this was heading.

"I wanted to take you in … I wanted to take care of you but the Hokage and the Elder Council turned me down! Please forgive me! I should have tried harder. I …" Kakashi desperately tried to explain himself only for Naruto to raise a hand and stall him.

"Kakashi-sensei, please. It's alright … No. It really is." Naruto said firmly when he saw Kakashi was about to protest again.

"Please hear me out. What happened to me is in the past … Was it unfair and stupid? Yes! … Was it avoidable? Fuck yes! … But were you responsible? Hell no! … At the time, you were a kid yourself! My age! … It wasn't supposed to be your responsibility! You had your plate full with … y'know _everything._ " Naruto let out a huge sigh before continuing.

"At least … You cared and you tried … For that, I thank you." Naruto said with a slight bow.

'This boy!' Kakashi was taken aback at the maturity Naruto was displaying and let out a sigh in relief once it was clear to him that Naruto didn't blame him. Naruto's words made it feel like a crushing load had been taken off of his back.

"You really are your parents' child." Kakashi said softly and got a blinding smile in reply.

The duo kept walking a while longer before Naruto's stomach rumbled.

"Say … all this talking has made me hungry … wanna grab some ramen?" Naruto asked Kakashi, now back to his usual self.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile fondly as he was reminded of Kushina and her obsession with ramen. "Of course … lead the way … My treat!"

"Duh!"

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"Naruto … Don't you think that's enough?" Kakashi asked, a mix of worried and impressed as he took in the eight empty bowls next to Naruto.

"What are you talking about? … There is no such thing as enough ramen!" Naruto replied between slurps.

Naruto didn't know why but the ramen tasted doubly delicious today … maybe it had something to with learning the fact that his mother shared the same love for ramen as he did … maybe it didn't … who knew.

"You remind me of _her_ you know." Kakashi said fondly as the image of Kushina flashed through his mind. Naruto simply grinned and gave him a thumbs-up before finishing the bowl.

"Ahhh … that hit the spot!" Naruto said with a satisfied groan as he thumped the ninth bowl on the table.

"Naruto … no more! You are going to have a stomach ache!" Ayame said decisively. She knew she shouldn't be turning down business but a line had to be drawn somewhere.

"Awwwww!"

"Don't aww me!" Ayame said with an exasperated smile on her lips and her hands on her hips.

"She is right, you know." Kakashi nodded sagely while calculating how many missions he would have to undertake to fund these _treats_ if it became a regular occurrence.

"Fine! Spoil my fun!" Naruto grumbled good-naturedly.

Once Ayame cleared out the debris from Naruto's meal, Kakashi turned to Naruto.

"So, how goes your training for the chunin exams?"

"Who told you we are going to appear for those?" Naruto asked a little curiously.

"Come on, give me a little credit. I saw what you three are capable of. It would be stupid of your sensei to not nominate you for the exams … and if there is one thing I know about Kurenai, it is that she is the furthest possible thing from it."

"Hehehe … can't argue with that … and we _are_ good, aren't we?" Naruto returned with a chuckle.

"Maa, Maa … don't get ahead of yourself. The exams are a dangerous affair after all. Take them seriously … So, once again, how is your training coming along?"

"Well, truth be told, we are training our asses into the ground … Kurenai sensei hooked me up with a couple of other instructors … Yugao-san is looking into my kenjutsu …" Naruto said the last part with a groan. The few times that he had faced off against Yugao had only ended up in humiliation for him. 'Damn it! I will show her!'

"Yugao, huh? … You are in good hands then. Who else?"

"Good hands, my butt! That woman is a devil!" Naruto replied with a huff and got an eye-smile in return.

"Well … I did train her once … a long time back when I was in the ANBU" Kakashi reminisced.

"Figures …" Naruto grumbled before continuing. "… Do you know Gai-sensei?" Naruto couldn't quite keep the shudder from his voice.

On hearing Gai's name, Kakashi choked on his drink and it took him a few moments to re-compose himself. 'Naruto … you poor, poor bastard!'

"Gai? … Yeah, he is an old friend." Kakashi hummed in interest and acted like he hadn't just choked on his drink at the mere mention of the spandex-clad freako.

"Yeah, well … he is training me in taijutsu."

"Gai is the greatest Taijutsu master in the world. It is an honour to be trained by him … You just have to get past his errr … uniqueness …" Kakashi said with a shrug.

"Yea … _uniqueness"_ Naruto muttered sarcastically.

"Oh, that reminds me … Kurenai sensei also told me that she was trying to get in touch with you to help train my ninjutsu." Naruto blurted out.

"Oh?" Kakashi was interested. On the one hand it was too much work for him and it would cut into the time he had sworn to devote to training his team … seriously this time around. On the other hand, this was _Naruto._

"Well … will you?"

"Will you what?" Kakashi muttered a bit absentmindedly. He was still thinking about the situation.

"Train me, of course … Come on, just a couple of sessions a week? … Please?" Naruto tried his best to make puppy-dog eyes but failed miserably. The very thought of being trained by the 'Copycat Ninja' was enough to make his mouth water.

"Well …"

"Come on, man … Think about it … Will you really turn me down?! … We are practically brothers!" This was Naruto's last-ditch, 'Hail Mary' effort.

Kakashi did a double take at Naruto's statement and turned his full attention towards him. 'The old man was right!' Kakashi thought as he remembered the Hokage's words about being honest to Naruto.

"Resorting to emotional blackmail now, are we? …" Kakashi said with amusement in his voice. "… Fine! I will train you."

"YES! … Thanks a lot … Nii-san!" Naruto added the last part with a cheeky grin.

"Well then, get ready … _Otouto_ … I won't be going easy on you."

"Hah! Bring it!"

"I will."

"If you two are quite done, leave! Other customers are waiting in line!" Ayame, who had been flittering about behind the counter had had enough. It was clear to her that Naruto was having an important discussion but even so, business was business.

"Must you wound me so, my Ayame-hime?!" Naruto cried out in an overly melodramatic voice.

"Of course! Come on Naruto!" Kakashi forked out a thick wad of cash, grabbed a hold of Naruto's collar and dragged him out when he saw Ayame smile sweetly and produce a heavy-looking ladle out of nowhere.

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"La di da da da da …" Naruto hummed tunelessly as he made his way home after the wonderful meal.

Just as he shunshined into his house, he could tell something was not quite right. Naruto pulled out his weapons and went on high alert. He double and triple checked the mental link he had with the seals surrounding his house but he could detect no breaches. 'Then why do I feel like I am not alone?'

"Fu fu fu fu fu" An eerie feminine laughter rang out all through the house.

'Yep! Definitely not alone!'

"Show yourself!" Naruto shouted out while trying his hardest to pinpoint the signature of the intruder.

"Now, why would I do that?" The voice taunted, even as it bounced all around the house making it impossible for Naruto to pin-point its origin.

"Because I asked nicely?" Naruto tried once again to make the intruder talk in the hopes of locating her.

"How so very sweet of you!"

'Che! This is useless! The echoes are making it impossible to locate her and the chakra signature is incredibly well shielded!'

Suddenly, Naruto felt a whoosh behind him and turned around with his weapons raised – only to receive a blow squarely on his chin that sent him staggering to a corner of the room.

'What the fuck was that?! I couldn't even see it!'

"Oh my! That was disappointing!" The voice continued its taunting.

"Come out and I will show you disappointing!" Naruto growled out loud and brought his chakra chains out to play.

"Must you always resort to that at the drop of a hat?" The voice sounded amused and exasperated.

Naruto was taken aback at the question. 'Who is this person and how does she know about my chains? … Could it be …' Naruto's mind went to all the people who knew about his ability. If he eliminated his team, Kakashi and the Uchiha bastard … that left only one person … and given the proficiency the intruder was displaying in hiding, it looked more and more likely that it was _her._

"YUKI?!" Naruto called out incredulously.

"Hmpf! Just spoil my fun!" Yuki's petulant voice came from right next to Naruto's ear and a pair of soft arms wrapped around him from behind. "Hey there, Na-ru-to sama!" The greeting was whispered in a deliciously breathy manner that only Yuki could manage.

"Yuki?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Naruto disengaged and spun around in shock while fighting down a blush – Yuki never failed to get a reaction out of him. His confusion went up a couple of notches when he took in Yuki's appearance.

"You don't visit, you don't write … and when finally, your poor slave goes through all the trouble to find her master … this is the welcome she gets?!" Yuki asked in a teasing voice while cocking an eyebrow in an oh-so-familiar manner.

"Don't get me wrong! It's great to see ya but it's just a bit sudden is all!" Naruto hastily explained himself.

"Well, I grew bored all by lonesome in the forest … you can kill only so many intruders before it gets boring y'know … so, I decided to come see you and spend some time with you … surely that's not a problem?" Yuki asked and got a head shake from Naruto in response.

"Um, what's with this form?" Naruto asked as he took in Yuki's latest avatar. It was very clear that it was still _Yuki._ She appeared to have de-aged and now looked like a breathtakingly beautiful teenage girl as opposed to a breathtakingly beautiful twenty-something-year-old.

"Since I will be spending some time with you, I thought it was best that I assumed a more suitable form. Two _teenagers_ spending time would seem normal, no?" Yuki asked with a smirk as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

"Fair enough … although, I think no matter what form you take, it will be impossible for you to _not_ attract attention." Naruto said with a small laugh.

"Oh my! My precious master has become so smooth!" Yuki mock gushed and immediately dodged a cushion Naruto threw at her head.

"No. Really … I am glad you are here …" Naruto said as he plopped down right next to the demoness and closed his eyes.

"So … tell me. What have you been up to all this time?"

Naruto cracked one eye open and asked "Why do you ask like you haven't been keeping tabs on every single move I have made?"

"You are no fun! You know that right? … I would just like to hear your take on it and besides, it's not like I have kept tabs on _everything_ you have done!" Yuki started poking Naruto's sides.

"Get off me! Why are you acting like a child?!" Naruto cried out as he shielded himself. Yuki's fingers were a bit too pointy for his tastes.

"It's called committing to a role. Now, spill!" Yuki said with a triumphant smile when she saw Naruto put his hands up in defeat.

The two chatted for a couple of hours during which Naruto was forced to promise to summon the Onikuma so that Yuki could have a _chat_ with them.

"I am sleepy … come on Naruto-sama, let's go to bed." Yuki yawned widely to underscore her point.

'We used to sleep together all the time … it is no different now … totally the same! … No need to be weird about it! If I refuse, I will be admitting that I let her get to me! … Play it cool Naruto!' Naruto desperately tried to calm himself on hearing Yuki's words. Puberty was a bigger danger than the ninja world could ever be.

"Y-Yea sure, whatever." Naruto responded in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. The devious grin he received in return made it clear that he had fooled no one.

"You go on ahead. I just need to stash my stuff in the closet." Naruto said to Yuki and turned around to hide his embarrassment.

"Oh! Naruto-sama, I just remembered!" Yuki called out from behind him.

"Hmm?"

"The ones with the blank white masks are Root, right?"

All of Naruto's embarrassment went out of the window and he went on full alert. "Yes. Why?"

"Oh nothing!" Yuki said with a guilty look on her face.

"Yuki …"

"Oooooh, then you might want to stay away from that closet. I will clean it out tomorrow morning!" Yuki said hurriedly and fled up the stairs cackling madly all the way.

"Wh-Whaaa …" Naruto looked at the closet Yuki had pointed out and then at the staircase she had just gone up – back and forth, again and again.

"Fuck this! I am too tired for this shit anyway!" Naruto swore loudly and stomped up the stairs.

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"Sensei! Y-You are on time!" Sakura's absolutely flabbergasted tone was not completely unwarranted because it was the first time in living memory that Kakashi had turned up on time for something other than an 'A-rank and up' mission.

"I am sorry. I will try not to do it again." Kakashi replied in a bland voice and Sakura being true to herself completely missed the sarcasm in it.

"NO! It's a good thing! I was pleasantly surprised! Don't be late again! Please!" Sakura started frantically.

"Maa, Maa … Learn to take a joke, Sakura." Kakashi waved her down casually. "Gather around!"

"Hn! What will we be doing today, Kakashi?" Sasuke cut through the chatter and addressed the Jounin directly.

Ever since his talk with Naruto a couple of days ago, Kakashi had sworn to do his best to be a teacher to his students and to Naruto. The heart-to-heart that he had with the blonde had helped put things in perspective and he felt lighter and more motivated than he had in years.

"I have decided that you will be appearing for the Chunin exams in roughly five and a half months' time. We will be preparing for that." Kakashi said to his genin team and got various levels of surprise in return.

"But …" Sakura began and simply stopped when she simply couldn't come up with words to respond to Kakashi's declaration. For all her proclamations that her team was the best and her precious Sasuke-kun was the Rikudou Sennin reborn, the recent Wave mission had opened her eyes to exactly how much further she still had to go. At least, that was what the rational and honest part of her brain thought in the few moments of clarity she had.

"I understand it is a tall order but I am certain that you will be more than up for it – with a little work." Kakashi reasoned with the team.

"So, what will it be then? More _team_ exercises?" Sasuke couldn't help the sarcastic answer that slipped out.

"Yeah … we ain't gettin' nowhere with it." Kiba drawled with his hands behind his head and Akamaru added his two cents with a series of yips.

"No. As much as it pains me to admit it, you guys don't have what it takes to be a team …" Kakashi began and got three identical glares in return. "… not yet. For you to be able to work as a team, you need to bring something to it."

"And whose fault is that I wonder?" Kiba grumbled to himself but Kakashi heard him anyway.

"You are right. It was mine but everything changes now." Kakashi straightened up and got a glint in his eye that had the others going on high alert. The laid-back porn addict was gone and, in his place, stood the world renowned elite jonin. "You lot are going to be training in your specialties before you can work as a unit. For that, each of you needs to have a defined role."

The genin started looking between themselves in confusion. 'Who was this guy and what he done to Kakashi?'

"Kiba! You are the frontal heavy hitter and scout. In addition to your clan techniques, I will be teaching you some new ways to better leverage your bond with Akamaru." Kakashi pulled out a summoning scroll and a poof of smoke later, Kakashi's trusted ninken ally, Pakkun had joined them. "Meet Pakkun – he will be training your synchronicity with your ninken before I take over the lessons."

"Yo." Pakkun said in his customary drawl.

Turning to Sakura, Kakashi threw another scroll at her. "It is time you put your rumoured intelligence to good use. That scroll, has sealed within itself, a bunch of texts on tactics and trap making. I want you to go through everything and master them. Your role will be that of a strategist and trapper. Get that done and maybe I will arrange for you to be trained in iryo-jutsu so that you can be a proper support to your team."

"H-Hai sensei!" Sakura eeped and pocketed the scroll. Kakashi's new intensity was scaring her.

Turning to the final member, Kakashi just spent a minute staring at him. 'He does seem a bit stronger and a lot more closed off'

" _Sasuke_ … I don't think I need to tell you what your role is." Kakashi began and got a snort in return. "You and I will be working on that Sharingan of yours and I will teach you however much you can take."

'My Sharingan is the only reason why I even bother to put up with your _training_ anymore. The sooner we are done, the better!' Sasuke thought to himself when he heard Kakashi's words.

Although the prospect of learning from Kakashi would have some people pissing their pants in excitement, Sasuke had very low expectations on the back of the disastrous six months he had already spent with his _team_. As a result, all he said was "Hn!"

"Before we begin, I would like to assess exactly where you all are." Kakashi began and the Team 7 genin stiffened at those words. "So … Come at me with everything you have got!"

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"Is that seriously all you've got?!"

"Godammit woman! STAY STILL!"

"Now, now … that would defeat the entire point of this exercise. However, I am feeling generous and I will stay still – for all the good it will do you! Bring it!"

"I have got you now!" Naruto shouted in triumph and swung his sword downwards with all the speed he could muster – only to _somehow_ be sent flying and land in a tangled heap.

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk! Such a shame – are you gonna cry?" Naruto's tormenter … err … Kenjutsu trainer, Yugao mocked the infuriated blonde as he was getting up to his feet.

Naruto didn't bother responding with words and simply began a fresh charge.

'He is faster and more efficient – much more than I expected him to become in such a short time but he still has obvious openings that a skilled opponent can exploit.' Yugao thought to herself as she deflected a series of deadly stabs and slashes. 'Good! Now, I actually have to put in some effort to guard against his attacks!'

Yugao dodged a particularly vicious swing by bending backwards and almost folding in half. Snapping back upright like a spring she went in for a return strike of her own with the blunt side of her blade towards Naruto's exposed side. So, she was understandably shocked when a clean hit to an unguarded area was blocked by a sword that came out of nowhere. Yugao wasted no time and somersaulted back to create distance.

"Hey! You are breaking the rules!" Yugao pointed at the shadow clone Naruto had spawned in the blink of an eye to protect himself. 'What ungodly speed of ninjutsu casting is that?!'

"Like I care!" Naruto screamed back with a devilish grin and spawned another two copies of himself before rushing Yugao. 'No point in overdoing it!' Naruto thought to himself smugly as he and his clones closed in on Yugao.

"Brats these days …" Yugao said with a sigh as she watched the four Narutos close in on her.

"I have got you now!" Four identical voices cried out.

"Dance of the Crescent Moon."

Naruto wasn't quite sure what happened and the time he had to think about it as he was sent flying didn't seem to be enough. As he soared through the air, he could recall him and his clones descending on Yugao at the same time and then she … _split …_ and now he was here, flying through the air.

"What was that?" Naruto asked calmly as he lay in the Naruto-shaped depression in the ground when heard the approaching steps of his trainer.

"A reminder to not get ahead of yourself." The reply made Naruto sit up.

"No! I don't understand! I had you! What was that?!" Naruto asked, confusion colouring his voice.

"Let's just say that you are not the only one capable of using shadow clones … and even if you are, you are not really skilled at using them."

The last bit got Naruto's attention and he bristled at Yugao's words. 'What does she mean I don't know how to use my clones?!'

Yugao could see Naruto's thoughts reflected in his expression and hastened to explain herself. "There is more to using your clones than simply overwhelming your opponent with numbers. What counts is how much in sync you are with your clones. The technique I used utilises clones … You also used clones … Then where was the difference?"

Naruto pondered her words for a few moments before replying. "Timing?"

"Precisely. When I used my clones, all of them executed their attacks at the _exact same time._ That way there is no break in timing, no opening … and the power of our attacks increased exponentially." Yugao gestured to the long trench Naruto had dug when he landed, for good measure.

"So … how do I do that?" Naruto asked as he got up and shook the dirt from himself.

"Why, practice, of course!"

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"I like her!" Yuki exclaimed from her place in the impromptu spectator stand.

"She _is_ one of the most gifted Kenjutsu experts Konoha has." Kurenai said with a shrug before turning all of her attention to Yuki. "Who are you again?"

"Who? Little ole me? … I am Naruto's oldest and best friend!" Yuki replied with a grin. 'Acting like a cocky teenager is _fun!_ I just might stay like this for the foreseeable future.'

"How come we have never seen you before?" Kurenai asked curiously. 'Kami! She is a beauty! How come I haven't seen her before or for that matter, why hasn't Naruto mentioned her even once?'

Hinata was having similar thoughts even as a pall of gloom descended on her. 'I knew it! I don't have a chance with Naruto-kun! Not with someone like _her_ around!' The poor girl had started getting her hopes up as she and Naruto had been growing closer over time. Naruto had even openly called her his precious person during the wave mission – and now this.

Yuki was only too aware of the effect she was having on Hinata and just for the heck of it decided to double down on it.

"Who knows … Naruto can be a jealous sort y'know … Maybe he wanted to keep me all to himself! … It was only after months of begging that he let me come to one of his training sessions and meet his friends." Yuki said with a tinkling laugh.

'I knew it!' Hinata's depression got worse and almost took a visible aura that surrounded her.

Kurenai could pick up on Hinata's mood and hastily changed the topic.

"So … what do you do?" Kurenai grasped at the first thing that crossed her mind.

"Oh! Odd jobs and such … my family doesn't live in the village proper so I just live with Naruto." Yuki volunteered the additional bit of information just to see how Hinata would react and she didn't disappoint. The aura of gloom became so pronounced that it was almost visible to the naked eye.

'L-L-Live with him?!' Hinata despaired as the aura of gloom around her got progressively heavier.

'Shit! This is bad! I need a distraction!' Kurenai frantically looked around in search of one and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Yugao and Naruto walking towards them.

"So how was it?" Kurenai asked the sword-mistress as she reached her group with a dishevelled Naruto in tow.

"Not bad Nai-chan … Not bad at all … The brat has improved … a bit. He still has a-ways to go. If we keep this up, there is a chance that he won't be totally useless at kenjutsu" Yugao replied in a teasing voice while Naruto grumbled in the background.

"Just you wait! One day soon …" Naruto said with a sidelong glance at Yugao.

"Yeah, Yeah … I will believe it when I see it." Yugao replied promptly before turning to Kurenai. "That's it for today. I will see you at our usual place tonight, Nai-chan?"

"Sure." Kurenai replied as she took in the faces of her two dejected students.

"See ya, then. And don't forget to practice brat! I won't be taking it easy on you next time!" Her parting shot delivered, Yugao vanished in a shunshin.

"She seems great!" Yuki said with a laugh and got a death glare from Naruto in return.

"Of course, you would say that!"

"What next?" Yuki asked like Naruto was not trying to bore a hole through her skull by his gaze alone.

"Ramen." Came the simple reply.

"Of course."

"You guys come too." Naruto sighed and turned to Kurenai and Hinata, who was looking mightily depressed. 'Did something happen?'

"Yo, Hinata! You 'kay?" Naruto asked concernedly.

"Oh? Yes, Yes, I am fine. Let's go." Hinata got up without another word, turned around and started walking.

Naruto simply shrugged and made to follow.

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"Who is that?!"

"Lucky bastard!"

"No. Seriously. Who is that girl?!"

"What I wouldn't give to be him!"

"Wait a sec! Isn't that the demon brat?!"

"Yes. He must have bewitched them somehow!"

Various whispers followed Naruto and the group of beautiful women he was dragging to the ramen stand.

"Aren't you the popular one?" Yuki asked with a small laugh. The laugh fooled no one because underneath the beautiful tinkling sound was a note of suppressed hostility that had Hinata and Kurenai going on alert. 'How fucking dare they?! These peasants … These gnats … They have the gall to even look at us, let alone openly insult someone who is _my_ master!'

"We are here." Naruto declared to the group and surreptitiously grabbed a hold of Yuki's to calm her.

"Welcome, Naruto … and company." Ayame cheerily said from behind the counter and faltered when she took in Yuki. 'She is a goddess! Who is she?! What is she doing with Naruto?!'

"Yo! Ayame-chan! Hit us up!" Naruto took a seat and the others followed suit.

Once the orders had been placed and Ayame had greeted the other two familiar faces, she turned to Naruto and Yuki. "So … won't you introduce your friend?"

"Oh? Yeah … Yuki this is Ayame-chan and Ayame-chan this is Yuki." Naruto drawled out with a cheeky grin.

Ayame knew _exactly_ how to deal with smartassery like that. "What was that? Cancel the Chicken Miso? Got it! Oh, Tou-san …"

"NOOO! I am sorry! I am sorry!" Naruto almost leapt across the counter in his desperation.

"Hehehe … Now introduce us properly you brat!" Ayame commanded in a mock-imperious voice to the others' amusement.

"I am Naruto's oldest and best friend! My name is Yuki and it's a pleasure to meet you … Naruto has told me so much about you and this shop that it feels like I have been coming here all my life despite this being my first visit!" Yuki decided to cut in.

After having been fed the cover story of Yuki coming to visit with Naruto, Ayame engaged the beautiful newcomer in conversation and found that she had a wicked sense of humour and Yuki despite looking down on all humans, decided that Ayame wasn't too bad – for a human at least. After all, they shared a common interest, one that was quite close to their heart – Naruto … or roasting him at least.

Turning to the other two, Ayame could see that the Hyuuga was unusually depressed that day and she had a very good idea what or who the cause was. Despite not wanting to admit it to herself, a part of her was feeling the same way as Hinata. 'Come on Ayame! It was always a foolish fantasy! Of course, he will find girls in his age group! It's better this way … no more silliness!'

Ayame had to keep sliding in extra toppings in order to cheer up Hinata – for all the good that it did. After a while the party of four called it a meal and left but not before Ayame extracting a promise from Naruto to bring Yuki around from the next time onwards.

The four bid their goodbyes to each other and went their separate ways.

"So, how was it?! Isn't ramen the best thing ever?!" Naruto asked Yuki as the two ambled along the main street.

"It was good and I can see why you like it so much but it doesn't do much for me honestly." Yuki replied with a shrug.

"WHAT! How can you even say that?!" Naruto was indignant.

"Naruto-sama, what you had was street food done well." Yuki began with an exasperated sigh before continuing. "Also, are you forgetting that I have been alive for nearly half a thousand years? I have seen things you wouldn't believe. I have tasted the finest luxuries the world has to offer. Compared to all that, that was simply pedestrian." Yuki replied as the imperiousness from her original persona started showing.

"You don't have to be so harsh; you know?" Naruto said weakly as he was reminded of just _who_ it was that he was speaking to

"Of course, I am not saying that it was _bad._ I am just saying that now that I am here, we can work on your tastes …"

"My tastes are plenty good!"

"Sure they are."

The two kept walking in comfortable silence before Yuki reminded Naruto of a promise he had made.

"Master, I think you should introduce us now."

"Now?"

"Why not? You don't have anything pressing to do and we are already outside." Yuki reasoned.

"Fine. But we will have to go deep into the forest."

"Naturally."

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"Here we go! Kuchiyose: Onikuma!"

The moment the words left Naruto's mouth, there was an explosion of shadow and sheer undiluted power. It took a few moments for the shadowy maelstrom to settle and when it finally did, it revealed a gigantic white bear wearing burning shadows like armour.

"Looking good guys!" Naruto remarked as he took in the Onikuma's new appearance. The power levels of the Yokai seemed to have gone up several notches.

 ** _"Thanks to your marvellous feast, partner!"_** Mugen's voice sounded out from everywhere and nowhere, terrible excitement apparent in every sibilant syllable.

 **"Why have you summoned us?"** The bear growled in his customary bloodthirsty rumble.

"Well, there is someone I would like you to meet." Naruto gestured to Yuki, who casually strolled forward.

 ** _"Strange! She seems to not -"_** Mugen began but the bear interjected with a roar.

**"Human! We may be bound by that infernal contract of yours but we are not to be paraded around for your little mates!"**

**_"Heyyy Kuma …"_** Mugen began worriedly. This girl was no ordinary human … in fact it was no human at all. And to make matters worse, he couldn't even begin to tell the true depths of her power. It was imperative that the bear stop before it landed both of them in soup.

 **"Who the fuck do you -"** That was as far as the bear got before it was sent flying backwards into the forest at incredible speeds.

It was only because of Mugen wrapping around the bear that he did not receive too serious of an injury. Completely disoriented by the suddenness and the sheer power of the attack, the bear groggily sat up and tried to make sense of his surroundings. An instant later, _something_ sent the bear sprawling to the ground and in a feat of strength, that boggled the Onikuma's mind, kept it there.

 _"You fat, mangy, flea-ridden nobody! You actually dared to speak to my master that way?!"_ The 'Girl' now had a foot on the snout of the bear and was keeping it pinned to the ground with just that.

 **"What is this … Who are you?!"** The bear was flabbergasted. Who was this that had so effortlessly beaten him and more importantly why was she calling that human brat master?

 _"Take a wild guess …"_ With those words Yuki let loose her incredible power. The chakra presence that descended on the area was so dense that the Onikuma actually started seeing flashes of its own death. Not willing to stop just yet, Yuki materialised her spider legs and brought the wicked points to bear directly on the grounded bear.

**"This can't be! … You are …"**

_"Say it! Say my name!"_ Yuki prodded the bear as she brought the point of one of her spider legs to rest an inch away from the Onikuma's eye.

 ** _"The Joro-gumo!"_** Mugen finished for the bear.

 **'The Human is the Joro-gumo's master?! …** ** _HOW?! WHY?!_** **'** Both Mugen and the bear were in shock.

While their paths had never really crossed, the Onikuma knew that in the world of the Yokai, very few were as powerful and infamous as the one that currently held their life in her hands.

 ** _"Forgive us my lady! We did not know that we were in the presence of the mighty Joro-gumo …"_** That was as far as Mugen got before one of Yuki's spider-legs took a swipe at the floating shadowy mass and tore out a fair-sized chunk.

Ignoring Mugen's horrific screeching, Yuki continued as if nothing had happened. _"Let that serve as a reminder then … The question I asked was – 'How dare you speak to my master that way?!' … Well? I am waiting!"_

 ** _"Forgive us! We didn't know that … our contractor … was in any way related to you!"_** Mugen tried pleading their case.

It was at this point that Naruto managed to shake himself into action. He immediately shunshined next to Yuki and placed a hand on her shoulder – silently asking her to calm down. It was the first time that he was seeing Yuki actually displaying her power in earnest and it was enough to shake him to his core. Unbidden, the Kyuubi's words flashed to the forefront of his mind. 'Damn it! I _did_ get lucky!'

 **"You have no idea, brat!"** The fox voiced its agreement as they saw the ease with which the spider demon took down the Onikuma.

Yuki turned a slightly reproachful glare towards Naruto, as if to say 'Fine! Ruin my fun!'

 _"Well … now you know and it would be in your best interests to not forget that little fact! If you ever fail to be perfectly respectful to him, I will hunt you down and obliterate your entire existence!"_ Yuki punctuated her words with a sharp stab into the Onikuma's side. Ignoring the pained howl, Yuki pressed on _"Am I CLEAR?"_

 **"YES! YES! Let us go!"** The bear pled from his position on the ground.

Yuki simply twisted the leg that was embedded into the side of the bear causing it to howl in renewed agony. _"Aren't you forgetting something?"_

 ** _"_** ** _PLEASE_** ** _LET US GO!"_** Mugen called out desperately.

 _"See?! You CAN learn!"_ Yuki said with a dark chuckle and let up on the Onikuma.

The Onikuma wasted no time in scrambling backwards in a desperate attempt to create some distance between itself and Yuki.

Despite Mugen screaming at him to stop, the bear couldn't hold it in any longer and shouted back at the Joro-gumo.

 **"How does this concern you?! The contract was created between us and the … your master!"** The Onikuma hastily amended the last part when he saw Yuki raise a single eyebrow at the slip of his tongue.

 _"True … On the one hand, the contract was created between you and my master but on the other hand …"_ Yuki vanished in an instant and slammed the Onikuma into the ground once again before placing her foot on its neck. _"… What are you going to do about it?"_

The Onikuma knew that it hadn't got a leg to stand on. The Joro-gumo outstripped him in terms of power by far and there was nothing he could do about it – for now.

Mugen on the other hand, kept whispering that it was not wise to anger the Joro-gumo. That it would be in their best interests to treat Naruto respectfully – especially since Naruto had been fair with them and given them no reason to doubt him so far.

 _"I tire of this game … To put it succinctly – Know your place."_ Yuki said with a shrug and finally let the Onikuma up. _"Begone!"_

With one final swirl of shadows, the Onikuma was gone.

"Wow, was that really necessary? … I had a deal with them …" Naruto began worriedly but Yuki simply held up a finger.

"Despite growing so much, you are still that naïve little boy, aren't you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked indignantly.

"Yokai are not human!" Yuki gestured animatedly. "We don't do _agreements!_ With us, it's all or nothing!"

"But … I made that contract binding!"

"Irrelevant!" Yuki snapped at the blonde before wilfully calming herself down. "You made the best of a bad situation at the time but you gave them too much leeway. I know the terms of your _contract …"_ Yuki scoffed at the word. "… You made the mistake of assuming that those two have any honour – especially when it comes to a _human_. What is stopping them from holding one small grievance as enough grounds to void the contract and wreaking hell on you?"

"…"

"I thought so." Yuki said with yet another scoff.

"So, what do you propose?"

"Do what I did. They understand one thing and one thing only – power. You simply have to grow more powerful than them." Yuki said matter-of-factly. "And luckily for you, I am here to lend a hand in keeping them in check."

"Hmm … Appreciate it Yuki." Naruto returned thoughtfully.

Yuki stared at Naruto for a few moments before finally voicing the concern that had been gnawing away at her.

"Naruto-sama, what has happened to you?"

The sheer disappointment in her voice had Naruto whirling around to face her fully.

"Wha-"

" _This ..."_ Yuki gestured at him "… is not what I expected to see when I finally reunited with you. I waited and watched … I thought you were putting on a show for the benefit of these sheep … I thought you were pretending … but no! This is real, isn't it? … You have grown soft!"

"Yuki, what are you on about?" Naruto was getting a bit annoyed with the constant criticism.

"Your instinct! You have ignored the powers you got from me … You have ignored building on the Kyuubi's power … You are becoming _normal!"_ Yuki said the last word with disgust dripping from every syllable.

"What the …" Naruto began to protest but a part of him couldn't help but agree with Yuki's words.

"Why did you come here in the first place?" Yuki asked pointedly.

The original plan had been that Naruto would learn all that he could and leave the damn village behind. But now, he had forged bonds and begun laying roots in the very place that he had sworn held no value for him.

Yuki could see the turmoil in Naruto and couldn't help the sigh that escaped out of her. "This is exactly what I was afraid of. No matter how extraordinary … Humans will always fall for fleeting and useless things like sentimentality. It was the same with the Forest-father and now, it is the same with you." Yuki sounded particularly bitter when she referred to the Shodai. Even in his agitated state, Naruto picked up on it and filed it away for later.

"That is enough, Yuki."

"No! You have forgotten what you used to stand for! Tell me, when was the last time you worked on using the fox's chakra?"

"I get it, alright?!" Naruto couldn't avoid squirming a little guiltily.

"You surround yourself with weaklings now … and what's worse, you actually _care_ for them!"

"Yuki, I get it … That is enough!" Naruto's voice held a note of warning this time.

"I don't understand! What do you see in these powerless creatures?! Is this the extent of your ambition? Get followed around by a star-struck girl that can't even get herself to speak in your presence?" Yuki taunted Naruto.

"Yuki … SHUT UP!" Naruto was hopping mad by now, regardless of whether Yuki had a point or not, his friends were off-limits.

"This is exactly what I mean! The old Naruto would never let anyone rile him up like this! The old Naruto was cool, calm and collected! Your constant association with those floozies has undone all your progress!"

"…"

"Like that wallflower wasn't bad enough, your cavorting with that powerless ramen-store girl is even worse! What do you -" Yuki's tirade came to an abrupt stop and her words died in her throat when a couple of golden chains shot past her face on either side to stab into a tree behind her.

 _"I know what I have to do and I will do it MY way. YOU do not get to dictate shit to me."_ Naruto's voice held a completely frigid quality to it that sent a thrill of excitement up Yuki's spine. As if that were not enough, she could feel the bond between her and Naruto forcing her to her knees in submission.

'YES! My little spider is back!' Yuki thought with a smile to herself as she looked up at her master from her kneeling position.

Naruto stared down imperiously at Yuki for a while before letting out a tired sounding sigh and dismissing his chains. "You are right though. I need to get back to training my … unique … gifts."

Naruto gestured at the still-kneeling Yuki to rise. "I suppose it's good that you are here then … Time to be useful."

"Of course, my master! I live to serve!" Yuki responded in a suggestive tone that at any other time would have reduced Naruto to a blushing mess. Now, he simply turned away without a word and started walking with Yuki obediently trailing his footsteps.

"Oh … and Naruto-sama? … _Welcome back!_ "

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A couple of months passed and in that time Naruto and his team were run ragged by the different training programs they were being put through.

Shino had advanced by leaps and bounds in his clan techinques and was now able to use a variety of new moves. He had also gained control over a bunch of other hives and his bug-wielding versatility had gone up. His training with Naruto had started paying off and his taijutsu skills were coming along nicely according to their sensei.

Shino had taken Kurenai's advice to heart and started working on his elemental ninjutsu skills. It turned out that he had a strong affinity for earth and that fit in perfectly with his role as the defensive long-range support role he played in Team 8.

Hinata's training under her father was just as brutal as ever and she had now progressed to the point where she could be relied on to hold her own against Naruto - in a fair fight, that is. Her super-secret training with Kurenai was coming along nicely and in Kurenai's opinion, Hinata would become a force to be reckoned with by the time the Chunin exams rolled up in another three months' time.

Naruto's training was theoretically impossible due to the multiple masters he was training under and their clashing timetables. But since when did something as trivial as 'impossible' deter Naruto Fuckin' Uzumaki? With an army of shadow clones at his back, Naruto achieved the closest thing to omnipresence he could manage.

With the aid of his clones and the excellent but demanding Yugao, Naruto had managed to revisit all the basics and complete the third level of the 'Uzuhio no Ken' – all in a mere two months of training. With three months still to go till the Chunin exams, both Yugao and Naruto were hopeful of completing the fourth and starting the fifth and final level.

Naruto's training with Yushiro went much the same way. At first, Yushiro had been shocked and amazed at the speed at which Naruto mastered the calligraphy lessons. Once Naruto told him the secret of his learning, Yushiro had simply muttered about the unfairness of it all and handed Naruto ten times the normal workload – but not before cussing out the blonde under his breath for taking shortcuts.

Yushiro had been really surprised during the initial part of the training when he asked Naruto what seal he would like to learn first. Whatever he was expecting, a tearful request for a silencing seal was not it. Every single student he had ever taken on had asked for an exploding tag or a storage seal – this was a first. So, it was only natural that he asked Naruto why he wanted a silencing seal. All he got in reply was nigh-deranged mumblings about 'green and blue beasts' and 'lack of sleep'. Not trusting Naruto's mental state, Yushiro chose the easy way out and gave him what he asked for. By the second month of training Naruto had learned how to make two types of exploding tags. Currently the two were working on a variety of storage seals and if Naruto kept up the current pace, Yushiro was certain that because of his natural Fuinjutsu talent combined with his ' _learning aids',_ Naruto would reach _at least_ an 'Expert' level proficiency in a matter of six months – less if more clones got involved.

On the Taijutsu side of things, Gai had started drilling Naruto the same way as he did Lee. To Gai's great surprise, Naruto had managed to keep up and even get used to the ridiculous pace of the spandex-clad duo. Naruto's regenerative ability and incredible stamina allowed him to train for longer and recover quicker. As a result, he had managed to improve by leaps and bounds; and after two months of training had begun approaching the point where he would be able to match Lee's 'Un-weighted' speed – without using chakra enhancement.

All this only drove Gai to be more proactive in teaching Naruto all he could. As a teacher, Gai was elated when he found that Naruto had mastered the shadow clone jutsu. That way he was able to experiment with different fighting styles in his quest to figure out a suitable fighting system for Naruto.

So far, Gai had managed to narrow down three different fighting styles for Naruto to pick and choose from. They were 'The Rampaging Beast' style – a form which relied on ungodly flexibility, staying low to the ground and random unpredictable attacks that could come from any direction; 'The Ever-Flowing Stream' style – a form which focused on redirecting blows, perpetual motion and deceptively powerful strikes meant to wear down defences much like a river cutting through rock; last but not the least – his very own 'Goken' or at least the basics from it.

Even so, Gai was not convinced that this combination was the _ONE_ but it was the closest they had managed to get and it would have to do for the time-being.

Naurto's training with Yuki had started off a little stiffly for two reasons – one, the little _spat_ they had had the day before and two, it was so very different from his normal ninja training that he had almost forgotten what it felt like to train his 'Demonic' side.

Once again, Naruto began by revisiting the basics and working his way up from there. His acid-spit ability had been unused for so long that he had to re-adapt his body to withstand the build-up and discharge of the corrosive stuff. In addition to that, he worked on the strength of his webs and assorted exercises Yuki had for training the 'Spider' side of him.

Yuki had also managed to strong arm the shadow half of the Onikuma into helping Naruto harness its abilities. Mugen agreed without any protest because he knew a futile cause when he saw one. With the Joro-gumo watching over their contractor, there was no way in hell that they were getting one over Naruto any time soon. As for the bear half, Yuki had simply written it off as nothing but a lumbering beast that got by only because of its size and Mugen's abilities – and that Naruto stood nothing to gain from it.

Re-establishing the connection and getting the Kyuubi to agree had been a bitch and a half to deal with but somehow Naruto managed to coax him into it. At the end of two months' training he was still in the process of mastering the second 'tail'.

Naruto's bi-weekly training with Kakashi had been going smoothly and after the first time Kakashi turned up late, Naruto had taken to hunting him down before each session. That in itself had become a part of their training with Kakashi's hiding places becoming more and more elaborate.

The scarecrow had decided to show Naruto a few more jutsus for each of his primary affinities. In one of their sparring sessions Naruto had fallen to Kakashi's 'Doton: Moguragakure' and 'Doton: Headhunter' combo. After that, Naruto had insisted on learning the 'Moguragakure' even if Doton was not his affinity.

This turned out to be the bane of a lot of people's existence as Naruto had taken to hiding beneath the earth and popping out at random times. It was the same for missions as well because Naruto completed four C-rank missions by simply emerging from the ground to abduct two smugglers and a couple of would-be assassins.

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"Shino, I think it is time that you met the teacher I managed to find for advancing your trapping and poison skills. I must warn you that -" Kurenai's words were interrupted by a loud bang and copious amounts of smoke. Knowing full well what or rather who the cause was, Kurenai simply turned around with a sigh.

"Kneel peasants! For it is I – the one and only … Sexy and single Anko Mitarashi!" A beautiful purple-haired Kunoichi wearing an absolutely and deliciously scandalous outfit stepped out of the smoke and struck a pose for the benefit of her audience.

"BRAVO! BRAVO!" Naruto shot up to his feet instantly and created a small army of shadow clones to cheer for Anko's entrance and give her a standing ovation. Hinata simply joined in politely for lack of anything better to do.

Used to being the one always _doing_ the crazy shit, Anko was taken aback by a crowd of Narutos cheering for her. Her hesitation lasted for only a second before she recovered and made a great show of absorbing the praise and striking a couple more poses.

"Nai-chan! This kid is alright! You didn't tell me you had such nice brats!" Anko said after she finally got down from the tree branch that was doubling as her stage.

"Oh please! Anyone could recognise your awesomeness!" Naruto continued with a shit eating grin.

Anko stared at Naruto suspiciously for a few moments but she probably saw something that satisfied her; as a result of which, she zipped to Naruto and put an arm around his shoulders. "Like I said, you are alright kid! Say, how do you feel about pranking people?" Anko asked as if testing to make sure that Naruto was in fact 'Alright'. The devilish grin she got in return put all her doubts to rest.

" _Oh, Nai-chan!_ Where were you hiding her and why are we meeting her just now?" Naruto asked Kurenai with a mischievous grin.

"Great. Now there are two of them." Shino cut in sardonically before Kurenai could say anything.

"Anko, can we please get to work?" Kurenai asked in the hopes of distracting Anko before she could plot the end of the world with Naruto.

"Awww, fine! Where is my latest vic- errr … I mean student?" Anko made a show of looking around before finally focusing on Shino.

"That would be me." Shino's voice held a note of uncertainty as he took in his prospective teacher.

"Aha! First rule! You will refer to me as Anko-sama …"

"No. I don't think I will."

"Is that so?" Anko asked with her famous bloodthirsty grin and an instant later, flung a Kunai towards Shino.

"ANKO!" Kurenai cried out in outrage just as Shino tilted his head ever so slightly to let the Kunai pass him by harmlessly.

"Weeeeellll, aren't you a quick one?" Anko whispered creepily from right next to Shino's ear. Anko had shunshined behind Shino the moment he dodged the blade, caught it and now held it to Shino's neck – an old favourite of hers. To add some more effect and also because she felt like it, Anko extended her tongue and ran it along Shino's ear. 'Wait! Something ain't right!'

'HOT!' was the only thing that was running through Naruto's mind as he took in the spectacle of his teammate getting 'technically' molested.

As if to confirm Anko's suspicion, the surface of Shino's ear, which had started wiggling unnaturally even as she was in the process of licking it, suddenly blackened – followed by his entire body. A moment later Shino's 'body' crumbled away to reveal that it was in fact a Mushi Bunshin (Bug Clone).

"I would prefer it if you did not attempt something like that ever again." Shino said in his customary calm voice as he walked out from behind a nearby tree.

'When did he -?"

'So fast!'

'How!'

Everyone present was taken aback by the speed at which Shino had pulled off the clone and switch. None of them had picked up on even the slightest signs of movement.

"Ohohoho, Nai-chan! I am going to have so much _fun_ with your brats!" Anko said with a giggle that caused the hairs on the neck of all three genin to stand up.

"Ummmm … Sensei, I just remembered I had promised to meet Kakashi-sensei for … err … stuff! See ya all!" Naruto said a hasty goodbye and legged it via the fastest shunshin he could manage.

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"Come on! PLEASE!"

"…"

"PLEAAAAASE!"

"…"

"I can keep this up all day, you know?" Naruto asked Kakashi with a wicked grin as he followed him around.

"So can I." Kakashi replied without taking his eye off of his book.

Naruto simply let out an explosive sigh before turning to the masked Jonin again. "Come on! I promise I will be careful with it!"

"Like you were careful with your Exploding Clones?" Kakashi asked lightly and Naruto turned ruby-red in embarrassment.

"That was one time! It won't happen again!" Naruto furiously protested as he was reminded of _the_ incident involving a few … hundred exploding clones and a burnt down forest.

"Why are you so insistent on learning it? You can't use the Chidori without a Sharingan anyway." Kakashi finally deigned to look at Naruto.

"Gah! I know that! I just want the bragging rights … and you never know when it might come in handy. _Please_ Kakashi- _niisan_!" Naruto hoped the magic word would come through for him once again – and it did!

Grumbling to himself, Kakashi shut his book with a snap. 'The Hokage will have my head for this!'

"Naruto, the only reason I am showing you this is because I know that you will try to recreate this on your own and end up injuring yourself … Maybe I should let you do that … I am pretty sure you will be able to take it." Kakashi said the last part as if he were really considering it.

"Oi Oi Oi Oi Oi! You had the right thought then! Don't ruin it!"

"Fine! First, understand that I created this technique to be used only in the direst of situations and second …" Kakashi's entire demeanour changed and the dangerous glint in his eye had Naruto on his toes. "… Under _no_ circumstance are you to use this against an ally. Do I make myself _Clear?_ "

"Y-Yes Sir!" Naruto couldn't help the formal response that slipped out of him.

Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Kakashi reverted to his usual persona and begun explaining the method behind his signature move.

"So … Focus all the Raiton Chakra …" Naruto muttered to himself and his face was scrunched up in concentration and his breathing came in short gasps. "… Like THIS?!"

"Naruto! NO!" Kakashi was flabbergasted at how quickly Naruto had managed to manifest the raiton chakra, like it was second nature to him. That amazement turned to absolute panic when he realised that Naruto had no way of containing the built up Raiton chakra and that any moment it could …

ZZZAAAPP BOOOM!

… explode.

A couple of minutes later, a blackened and burn-covered Naruto with hair sticking out straight in all directions stepped out of the hole he had made in the ground when he was sent flying by the backlash.

"What the hell?! You never mentioned anything like this!" Naruto accused the guiltily smiling scarecrow.

"Hehe my bad, I guess. I never expected that you would be able to manifest that much Raiton chakra on your first attempt." Kakashi could tell his excuse was not well received from the look on Naruto's face.

'His regeneration is frankly supernatural! Already the burnt areas on his skin look like they are days old and were not made only a few minutes ago!' Kakashi thought to himself as he took in his blonde student's appearance.

"Is there anything else I should keep in mind?" Naruto asked pointedly.

"Well … The idea is to coat your arm in the Raiton chakra. So, you need to shape the chakra so that it conforms to the shape of your arm and …"

"All this talking is making me dizzy!" Naruto interrupted Kakashi's explanation. "SHOW me!"

"Fine … But I think we should call it off for the day after this. You already have burns and even for you, it will take a couple of days to heal." Kakashi proposed and got a very unwilling nod in return.

"Fine." Naruto let out a mighty sigh.

"Okay … Here goes." Kakashi immediately went through the handsigns for Naruto's benefit and a moment later his hand was coated in electricity. "So, this is how – WHAT THE -?! YOUR EYES!"

Kakashi was so surprised by what he saw that he was the one who lost control of his Chidori this time around and was blasted backwards.

"YO! You alright?" Naruto called into the fresh hole in the ground.

After a few moments, a frazzled Kakashi climbed out of the hole. 'Being the creator has its perks!' Kakashi thought to himself as he took in the minimal damage that he had suffered. Remembering _why_ he suffered the damage in the first place, Kakashi turned to Naruto.

"Your eyes! What? …" Kakashi trailed off, completely at a loss for words. 'Neither Sensei nor Kushina-san had a Dojutsu!'

"My eyes?" Naruto returned in a confused tone. 'I just pushed chakra to my eyes like I … Don't tell me there are external changes! Why did I never check?!'

"Yes! Your eyes! Do you have a Dojutsu?!" Kakashi asked again.

"None that I know of … Seriously!" Naruto protested when he saw the disbelieving look Kakashi directed towards him. "I could always focus chakra to my eyes to see … _more …_ Why? What does it look like?"

"You seriously have no idea?" Kakashi couldn't believe himself.

"I am telling ya!" Naruto pulled off his headband and examined his eyes in the reflection. "Hmmm … Looks cool I guess." Naruto mumbled to himself as he took in the golden rims that had formed around his irises.

"So, what can they do?" Kakashi asked interestedly.

"I can see chakra … not like the Hyuugas of course but yeah that's about it … oh and improved vision at night too, I guess." Naruto said with a shrug. 'Don't need to tell him about the Yokai viewing thing.'

"That's all?"

"As far as I know." Naruto lied through his teeth.

"You are always full of surprises! … So, were you able to _see_ the Chidori this time?" Kakashi asked and got a nod in reply. "Good. We can try another day then." Kakashi held up a hand to stem the protests that were just beginning. "You do as I say … remember?"

"Fine." Naruto huffed out and the duo called it a day.

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"Is there a reason you are following me around?" Naruto asked Kakashi as the two walked side by side.

"Hmmm? I am just going wherever life leads me." Kakashi replied without taking his eye off of his book.

"Riiiight." Naruto drawled in reply. 'Did the old man put him up to it? Danzo has him that worried? How far can Danzo's reach extend, really?'

The two kept on walking and Naruto honestly didn't mind the company despite being a little ticked off at being _protected._

"This is my place … Is _life_ gonna lead you in there too?" Naruto asked Kakashi as the duo approached Naruto's home a.k.a. 'Awesomeness HQ'.

"Who knows? … Hee Hee Hee." Kakashi half-heartedly responded to Naruto and giggled at Sayako's latest lewd shenanigans.

Naruto simply shook his head in amusement and walked in the door only to receive a …

"SUUURPRIIIISE!"

"WHAT THE -" Naruto had his sword out and a stack of explosive tags in his off-hand ready to go.

"Such a troublesome blonde – we go through all this trouble to set up a party and he wants to stab us!" Shikamaru drawled with an amused smile at the thoroughly shocked Naruto.

"Happy Birthday, Brat/Naruto/Naruto-kun!" Various voices sounded out from all corners of the room and Naruto finally took in all the occupants. The entire Team 10 along with Asuma were lounging off to one side like they owned the place. His teammates along with their Sensei, Anko and Yugao were doing the same. Even the Hokage was sitting on a chair at the dining table and relaxing with his pipe.

"Are you going to put those tags away or would you like the place to meet a similar fate as that forest you burnt down?" Yuki asked in an amused voice as she took in the sight of her flabbergasted master.

"Wha … Yeah!" Naruto simply did as Yuki asked to buy some time to get his thoughts in order.

"Oh good, I was able to distract him long enough!" Kakashi said out loud as he walked in.

"You were in on it as well?!" Naruto spun around to face the masked Jonin.

"In on it?! He helped put it all together!" One of Naruto's favourite voices called out from the door to his kitchen.

"Ayame-chan?! You are here too!" Naruto said with a laugh and went up to give her a quick hug. Kakashi quietly slid away to join the Hokage at the dining table.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world! Besides … I brought the food y'know?" Ayame said as she enthusiastically returned the blonde's hug. "Happy Birthday, Naruto." Ayame said in a tender voice that had Naruto's insides doing a happy little jig.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! When did you plan all this?! Who planned it?!" Naruto asked aloud as he was being led to the centre of the room by Ayame and Yuki.

"You have Yuki-chan to thank. She started it and before we knew, more and more people started joining in and here we are!" Kurenai explained from her seat on the couch and Naruto whirled around in shock to face Yuki only to receive a shrug that said 'Later.' Nonetheless, Naruto surreptitiously squeezed her hand and mouthed a quiet but genuine 'Thank You.' Yuki, despite herself, had to fight down a small … reaction (she was the Joro-gumo and she did NOT blush dammit!) … at the look of joyful gratitude on Naruto's face.

"I am here for the booze, brat! Although … I suppose wishing you a Happy Birthday won't hurt." Anko said with a smirk as she brandished a bottle of Sake.

"Same." Yugao gestured to Anko with a smirk of her own. "Happy Birthday, blondie!"

"Thank you, guys! I had no idea this was happening!"

"That was the intention … Happy Birthday, you menace! Now go greet the others!" Kurenai said with a happy smile and raised the drink she had in her hand.

"Thank you, Sensei … and yea, I will do that."

Naruto walked over to the Hokage and Kakashi, figuring it would be best to not keep the old man waiting.

"Naruto my boy! Happy Birthday!" The old man called out as Naruto approached him.

"Thanks, Jiji! … Say, you wouldn't have had anything to do with me not being able to sense the others, yeah?" That was the one thing Naruto had found most unsettling about the pleasant surprise he received.

"Whatever could you mean, Naruto?" The Hokage tried to feign ignorance but his silly grin gave the game away.

"Whatever … Thanks a lot!" Naruto responded with a grin of his own.

"So, how do you find the party?" Kakashi asked.

'I can't believe Yuki orchestrated the whole thing!' Naruto simply looked around the room for a good while. 'Is this what I would have grown up with had I been _normal_?' Naruto was reminded of Yuki's allegations the other day. 'There is no point thinking about that _now_ , is there? Better late than never, I guess.' Naruto thought with a smile as he took in all the people he even remotely cared for, all seated in one room.

"I don't have much experiences with birthday parties but something tells me it's gonna be very hard to top this!" Naruto said with an appreciative nod. "Thanks, Kakashi-niisan."

The Hokage was pleasantly surprised when he overheard the little exchange. 'I am glad Kakashi could get close to Naruto. Seems they are getting along just fine! Although -' The old man glanced towards Yuki. 'I don't recall seeing her before – in Naruto's company or otherwise. I should probably ask Naruto later.' The girl had been giving him strange vibes since he had laid eyes on her. There was something about her that he just could not put his finger on.

"MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY!" A familiar voice reached all the occupants of the room.

'Here they come!' Most of those present thought with sighs and groans of varying intensities.

"MAKE WAY FOR THE BEAUTIFUL BEASTS OF KONOHA!" Gai's loud shout preceded the door being blown open by just a few seconds.

"SORRY WE ARE LATE NARUTO! WE WERE STOKING THE FLAMES OF OUR YOUTH BEFORE COMING HERE AND LOST TRACK OF TIME!" Lee, who had rushed in behind his master, declared for all and sundry to hear.

The 'All and Sundry' in question had various reactions to the duo and their entrance.

'Classic Gai!'

'Wow! The mini-me _is_ a clone … just like the rumours say!'

'My eyes hurt! Those clothes are a criminal offence!' This one was definitely Ino.

'Please don't do the genjutsu! Please don't do the genjutsu! Please don't do the genjutsu! Please don't do the genjutsu! Please don't do the genjutsu!'

"Alright, to celebrate your birthday my student … we -" Gai pulled Lee to him with an arm over his shoulder. "- got you something to help you fan the flames of your youth!"

At this point, Lee disengaged and pulled out an ungodly amount of lifting weights from _somewhere._

'What the fuck?! Was that Fuinjutsu?! But -' Most of those who had seen the ludicrous sight had the same thought.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARUTO!" Lee and Gai chorused together.

Not knowing what to say and scared shitless at the prospect of being subjected to another round of the 'Master-Student' genjutsu, Naruto rushed forward and accepted the gifts while thanking them profusely.

Unfortunately for our hero, it had the exact opposite effect.

"Gai-sensei! You were right! Naruto seems to be pleased with the gift! Truly, your wisdom knows no bounds!"

"Lee! Anything to fan the flames of youth shall always be well received by those with truly youthful spirits!"

"You are so wise! Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"OH, L-"

"Come on Gai! Let's go join Asuma, Kurenai and the others at the table!" Kakashi grabbed a hold of Gai and started dragging him away before he and his student had a chance to perform Konoha's deadliest 'Collaboration-type' Genjutsu.

Taking a leaf out of Kakashi's ninja handbook, Naruto did the same with Lee and dragged him off to where the genins were chilling.

The evening continued in pretty much the same vein with much laughter and merriment. The 'Catering' service that Yuki had roped Ayame into providing was a huge hit and Ayame for one, was seriously considering venturing into that line of business in the future.

Naruto simply soaked in the atmosphere as he sat surrounded by his friends and nearly all the people he cared for. Years later, this very moment would prove to be one of the only sources of light and warmth in the very depths of his despair.

Hinata could tell that her blonde teammate, despite being really happy, seemed unusually thoughtful. Making up her mind to engage Naruto, she followed him to the kitchen when it was his turn to get refills for everyone – and they had banned the use of clones so that he _actually_ had to get up like the others.

"Is everything alright Naruto-kun?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah … It's just a little strange is all. This is the first birthday party that I have gotten in my life y'know?" Naruto said with a smile while awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

Hinata let out a small gasp at Naruto's words. 'Of course! Sometimes I forget how hard he has had it! He really _is_ the strongest person I know!'

"Naruto-kun, Happy Birthday." Not quite sure how to respond to that bit of information, Hinata simply chose to thrust the gift she had got into Naruto's hands.

"Woah! Thanks, Hinata!" Naruto couldn't help but take a peek inside the bag right then and there. What he saw excited him so much that he flung all ceremony out of the window and pulled out the contents with a mile-wide grin. "It is beautiful! How did you know this was my favourite colour?!" Naurto said in genuine awe as he held the beautiful orange scarf in his hands.

Hinata had gone a bright red on hearing Naruto's words. Somehow, she managed to get herself in control and softly say a few words. "I saw you wearing a scarf like this once before."

'I have always stayed away from orange or any bright colours on sheer principle. What does she mean?'

Hinata could see the confusion in Naruto's face and sighed to herself. 'Of course, he doesn't remember.'

"It was years ago … when we were about six. I was being bullied in the park and you saved me …" Hinata surprised herself by saying even that much and figured that since she had come this far, she might as well see it all the way through. "… Even after all this time, I never forgot the scarf or the boy who was wearing it." It had taken all of Hinata's courage to say that much and she reverted to an embarrassed blushing mess once her piece was said.

On hearing Hinata's words, random flashes from a distant memory came to the forefront of Naruto's mind – a little girl on the ground, three burly kids, getting beaten up …

"Really? … I am so sorry Hinata … I don't remember it well but tell you what …" Naruto put on the scarf, "… I promise I will never forget _this_ one for as long as I live. Thank you." Naruto said in a soft voice and without thinking, reached forward and swept up Hinata in a hug.

'W-W-What's happening?!' Hinata didn't know whether to melt to the ground in embarrassment or jump for joy. She took the middle ground and froze stiff. Naruto felt it and quickly jumped back for the fear that he was making Hinata uncomfortable.

"I am sorry! I didn't mean to -" Naruto began hastily but Hinata beat him to the punch.

"N-N-No it's alright! Please d-don't apologise! …" Hinata was torn inside. A part of her was ready to run for the hills and another part just wanted Naruto to keep hugging her. "Ireallylikedit!" The words slipped out of Hinata before she could control herself.

"D-Did you say something?" Naruto wasn't sure he heard himself right.

"N-N-No nothing! We should get back to the others!" Hinata shot off like a raiton jutsu.

"Wha …" Naruto stood staring at the spot Hinata was standing in just a second ago.

"My, oh my … You got game, brat!" Asuma's grinning face came into view.

"It's not like -" Naruto gave up when he saw the incredulous face Asuma was making "- Gah! Never mind that … What d'ya want?"

"Oh, I just came looking for some ice …" Asuma held up his mug. "… the show was nice, too."

"Give it a rest, you lazy monkey!" Naruto ground out in embarrassment with a massive blush adorning his cheeks.

"Awwww … Okay! Okay!" Asuma hastily held his hands up when Naruto turned to glare at him.

"I will leave you to your ice, then." Naruto said and made to get out of the Jonin's way.

"Wait a sec … It's good that I got a hold of you here …" Asuma started fumbling in his jacket and pulled out a heavy looking case. "This is for you. Happy Birthday brat! … Go on, open it!"

Naruto obliged and gasped out loud when he saw what the box held. Sitting on a bed of velvet were two intricately designed, black-as-the-night daggers. Each of the daggers had a ring at the end of the handle and the blades were curved in a way that was wholly unfamiliar to Naruto. The closest parallel that Naruto could draw was with the claw of a big cat of some kind.

"They're … beautiful!"

"Go on! Take 'em out!"

Naruto gladly complied and took out the blades gingerly. Instinctively, he knew what to do and slipped his index finger through the ring and held the daggers in a reverse grip – it felt _just_ right to him.

"They are brilliant!" Naruto said with a laugh as he took a few experimental swings. He could tell the blades weren't meant to be used as normal daggers. 'Come to think of it, these are exactly like claws and look more suited to hooking and slicing … I think they will be a good fit for my taijutsu … 'Ramapaging Beast' indeed! … and wait a second! Are these -?!' Naruto could sense that the blades were Chakra conducive.

"I can't accept these! They are way too expensive!" Naruto said protested half-heartedly.

"Oh, you can and you will if you know what's good for you! The gift is a joint one – from both me and Kurenai … Besides, you are already in love with it. Keep it, brat!" Asuma said with a chuckle. Truth was, the daggers came from his vast collection that he had accumulated over the years. He had seen similar daggers used to deadly effect by Shinobi from the 'Land of Rice' a long time back. While these daggers were not really his cup of tea, they had made an impression on him nonetheless. He had commissioned a talented smith to craft him a set, in case he ever found the time to learn to use them but he never did. So, it was only natural that he wanted to pass them on to someone deserving rather than have them sit around and collect dust.

"But …"

"Fine! If you are having such a hard time accepting, how about you do something for me?" Asuma asked and Naruto looked back in interest. "Y'know the chunin exams are coming up right?" On receiving a nod from Naruto, Asuma continued. "I would never ask this of anyone but you … I want you to make sure that my team survives it … Don't worry! I am not asking you to help them succeed or anything … just keep an eye on them."

Naruto was taken aback at the request. He considered Asuma's words for a few seconds before replying. "No problem! I consider those three my friends. I would have kept an eye out for them anyway and … you know that. So, the fact that you had to actually ask me suggests that you are worried about something … What is it?"

"Brat! I swear you are too smart for your own good! Yes, I know you would've looked out for them anyway and … Yes, there is something that worries me and … No, I cannot tell you anything beyond the fact that it has to do with certain changes that were made to the exam this year."

"Understood. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to make sure that my friends survive."

"Thanks … Come on, let's get back to the party! I don't want to keep you away from your girlfriend!"

"Put a sock in it, lazybones! … Do you want me to tell sensei that you haven't quit smoking like you promised?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

"I YIELD! I YIELD!"

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The party continued late into the evening and one by one people started taking their leave. Team 10 were the first to call it a night but not before gifting Naruto a Shogi set and manual, coupons to Yakini-Q and clothing stores. Naruto's own teammates were next to leave with a seriously drunk Anko and Yugao in tow. Soon, the only people left were the Hokage and Kakashi.

"Naruto-kun, now that we are finally alone … Here." The Hokage held out a box with seal markings going all over the surface. "I tied it to you."

Naruto knew what to do and pricked his finger on one of the senbons he had on his person to produce some blood and unlock the seal.

"This – This is …!" Naruto was lost for words as he held the tri-pronged kunai he had heard so much about. 'Father!'

"Quite right! I thought it was time you should have what is rightfully yours – especially since I now know for a fact that you recognise how dangerous Fuinjutsu can be … I would have hated it if you disappeared while trying to experiment with the dagger …" The Hokage said with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't do that, old man! Sheesh, what do you all take me for?" Naruto said with a laugh of his own.

"Keep doing what you are doing. Keep excelling like you are. You are a credit to your parents' legacy and I, for one, am proud of you! Keep it up, Naruto-kun."

"Thank you … Laying it on a bit thick, aren't we Jiji?" Naruto tried his best to hide how touched he was at the old man's words. In an effort to change the subject, Naruto turned to Kakashi.

"Don't look at me. I already gifted you the secret of the Chidori." Kakashi drawled.

"Hey, I wasn't asking you for another –" Naruto began but was interrupted by the Hokage's loud gasp.

"You did WHAT?!" The Hokage was staring incredulously at the masked jonin. "You taught him the Chidori?!"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama … _You_ just handed him a 'Hiraishin' Kunai." Kakashi pointed with not a little relish.

"He's got you there, Jiji." Naruto sing-songed and got a mild glare from the old man.

"Touché" The Hokage nodded to Kakashi grudgingly. 'I am sure Naruto will be responsible … He just needs to avoid practicing in the forests is all.'

"Besides, he would have figured it out on his own somewhere down the line. I just provided him with a controlled environment to minimise injuries – to himself and to others." Kakashi spoke sagely and got a snort from Naruto in return.

"I see … Anyhow, I have got to get back to the office." The Hokage said with a sigh. "This party was like a vacation for me." The old man said with a sad chuckle and left.

"Thanks for everything, Kakashi-niisan." Naruto said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. See you later, Naruto."

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"A little help please?" Ayame called out from the kitchen after the Hokage and Kakashi left.

"Of course!" Naruto immediately made his way into the kitchen. 'Dammit, I can't believe I had forgotten she was still here!'

"I need your help packing those boxes." Ayame pointed out to a pile off to the corner.

"I got this." Naruto created a bunch of shadow clones and set them to work. "Come on, leave it to these guys." Naruto gestured to Ayame to join him in the living room.

Ayame, who had never actually seen Naruto do any of his ninja stuff except for the shunshin he used to run away from her, was amazed at the ten identical copies of Naruto that popped up out of nowhere. She couldn't resist poking a couple of them and was taken aback when it felt like the real thing. "What is this?!"

"Shadow clones." Naruto said with a laugh and gave her a brief explanation as they settled next to each other on one of the couches.

"That is so amazing! You have any idea how much easier it would be at the store if I could do that?! You ninjas can do some really cool things, y'know?" Ayame said with amazement.

"Tell me about it!" Naruto said lightly as he fingered the Hiraishin Kunai in his jacket pocket. "And you ain't seen nothing of what I can do, yet." Naruto said while puffing out his chest.

"I am sure." The both of them dissolved into laughter at Naruto's antics. It took them a few moments to get back to normal.

The two just sat there in comfortable silence for a little while before Naruto sneaked an arm over Ayame's shoulder and pulled her into a light hug. "Thanks for _everything_ , Ayame-chan!"

"Awwww, don't mention it!" Ayame leaned into the hug a bit more and wrapped her own arms around Naruto.

"Say, Ayame-chan, I got sooo many gifts today …" Naruto trailed off with a devilish grin on his face.

Ayame, who was resting her head on Naruto's shoulders could _hear_ the grin in the blonde's voice and let out an amused huff. "What? All the food I lugged over with your friends wasn't enough you little ingrate?!" Ayame said with a laugh. "What else do you want?" Ayame knew very well which way the conversation was headed.

"You know …" Naruto trailed off and furiously waggled his eyebrows at Ayame who had tilted her head upwards to see him properly.

"Oh? Boys are all the same everywhere … They just want more and more …" Ayame sat up, grabbed a hold of Naruto's ears and pulled him towards her. "Were you expecting something like this?" Ayame proceeded to lay a couple of kisses on each cheek. "Or … maybe like this?" This time she kissed the bridge of his nose before pulling back and surveying her result – a bright-red Naruto who was grinning like a loon and was on the verge of gibbering like one. "Happy Birthday, Naruto." Ayame laid a final, tender kiss on Naruto's forehead before letting go of him. She disregarded any doubts she had been having about their situation and what Naruto meant to her. 'I don't care! Whatever will happen will happen! For now, this feels right so this is what I will do!'

"Best. Gift. Ever." Naruto said with awe in his voice as he stared adoringly at the brunette.

"Don't look at me like that, you menace!" Ayame grabbed a cushion and laughingly thwacked Naruto on the nose with it.

"Sorry! No can do!" Naruto replied with a laugh of his own and the two dissolved into yet another round of laughter while clutching each other hard.

Naruto and Ayame just sat there, enjoying each other's warmth and company for a while before Ayame finally decided to air the concern that had been gnawing away at her. "Naruto …"

"What is it? What's wrong?" The worry in her voice had Naruto going on full alert.

"I know the Chunin test is coming soon … People are talking about it more and more as it draws closer …" Ayame spoke hesitantly.

"Go on …"

"I know about the exams alright?" Ayame's grip on Naruto tightened. "Konoha has hosted them before too … All I remember about them is hearing how dangerous they are and how many young people die!"

"You are worried about me …"

"How could I not be, you idiot?!" Ayame looked up sharply and froze when she saw Naruto's face. 'Is that Naruto?!' Gone was the goofy demeanour that Naruto generally adopted around the people he liked and his face now held an expression that had Ayame feeling sorry for anything that had the poor judgement of standing in Naruto's way.

"Thank you for worrying …" Naruto's voice didn't lose any of its tenderness even if the intensity of his expression was sending thrills down Ayame's spine. "… You may not know this but I am _strong_."

The way he said the last word reassured Ayame in a way a thousand promises couldn't have. Even then, she wasn't planning on letting our hero out of her sight without wrangling an explicit vow out of him. Ayame sat up and pulled Naruto's face close to hers once again. Looking into his eyes searchingly, Ayame simply said, " _Promise me."_

"I promise."

That close to Ayame's face, Naruto could see every last freckle; every single strand of hair that had escaped the confines of the kerchief she wore on her head and was waving lazily in the light breeze flowing through the room. Her warm brown eyes held so much concern, so much tenderness, so much _love_ that Naruto really couldn't trust himself to say anything out of fear of making a fool of himself. ' _My_ Ayame-chan! She is _beautiful!'_

It always came back to _him_. All her friends had gotten boyfriends of their own and kept asking her when she would be getting one. She kept making excuses – Oh, but I have so much work! I can't possibly leave Tou-san alone! I am holding the business together! But … it always came back to _him._ She knew that compared to the absolute beauties that most of the Kunoichi were, she was rather plain. But the way Naruto simply _looked_ at her warmed her to her core each time. She had tried numerous times to not think of Naruto _that_ way and go get involved with someone her own age but … it _always_ came back to _him._

When asked later, neither Naruto nor Ayame could have said for sure who leaned forward first. One moment they were staring at each other for all they were worth and the next their lips had met.

Ayame honestly had gone past the point of caring about Naruto's age. 'We are only four years apart – big fucking deal! In a few years, no one will bat an eye – and if they do - _big whoop! ..._ He is a ninja so it's fine I guess and … he is already taller than me …'

'YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!YES! She tastes like strawberries! YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!' Naruto's mind was stuck in a loop.

The kiss, awkward as it was, was the best thing that either of them had ever felt. It lasted for what felt like an eternity but in truth was a few moments. Neither of them had any intention of cutting such a pleasurable activity short but even the best-laid plans …

"Oh! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to intrude!" Yuki gasped out with a mortified expression on her face causing the Naruto and Ayame to hastily disengage. Only Naruto could pick up on the amused glint in her eyes and the enjoyment she was exuding from her person.

"Eek!" Ayame squeaked like a startled mouse and shot up from her seat. "I … uhh … I … was … leaving! Yes! That's right! I was leaving!" Ayame looked like a cornered animal desperate to flee. "N-Naruto, I will … uhh see you later." Even in her flustered state she couldn't keep the smile out of her voice or off her face.

"Of course, Ayame-chan! I will bring you the boxes tomorrow!" Naruto had gotten up with a groan at the interruption and was cursing Yuki up and down in his mind.

"Thanks! I should probably leave now!" Ayame said with another flustered glance towards Yuki and rushed out the door like a bat out of hell.

"Don't let the door hit you on your way out!" Yuki muttered under her breath but Naruto heard her all the same.

"WHAT THE FUCK, YUKI?!" Naruto rounded on Yuki the moment he was sure that Ayame was out of hearing range.

"Whatever do you mean Naruto-sama!" Yuki said in a manner that could have fooled anyone – anyone except Naruto.

"You know damn well what I mean!" Naruto growled menacingly.

"If you are referring to the interruption, I must say that it was a genuine accident! … Why would I ever want to interfere while you are in the process of debasing yourself with inferior creatures." Yuki said with a twisted grin.

" _What did you say?"_ Naruto's voice had gone absolutely cold on hearing Yuki's words.

"You heard me." Yuki said with an infuriatingly mocking grin.

 _"How dare you?"_ Naruto began but was abruptly cut off by Yuki's answering snarl.

"How dare _I_?! … I go through all the trouble of organising this little _party_ to make up for our recent differences … and I come back to _that?!_ …" Yuki said with disdain dripping from every syllable of every word.

"Wha …" Naruto was confused beyond description at this point.

"If you can't understand 'wha…' by now, you won't understand it ever. I will be here … doing my best to prevent you from becoming ordinary – and failing at it apparently!" Yuki said scornfully and trudged up the stairs.

"What the fuck was t-"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY! YOUR GIFT IS ON THE TABLE!" Yuki's voice floated down the stairs followed by the slamming of the bedroom door.

Naruto just stood around with his jaw hanging open in amazement at Yuki's bizarre display. 'What the fuck?! No. Seriously. What the fuck?!'

 **"Bitches be crazy!"** The Kyuubi piped up with a chuckle.

'Thanks for that!' Naruto retorted sarcastically.

 **"What? … I just told you the world's greatest truth and you won't listen to me. Listen up brat, it doesn't matter if she's a pitiful human, a worthless Yokai or a pesky Biju … Fucking Matatabi! … Bitches be crazy!"** His great wisdom dispensed, the Kyuubi chuckled to himself and subsided into the depths of Naruto's consciousness.

Naruto pondered the Kyuubi's words for a while as he stood there alone in the aftermath of the party. For a lack of anything better to do, he created a bunch of clones and started them on cleaning up the place while he himself ambled over to the kitchen table.

"Woah!" Naruto gasped out in wonder when he pulled out Yuki's gift from its wrapper. In his hand was a cloak, the likes of which he had never even heard of, much less seen. The cloak had a hood and was a silky black in colour and looked like a shadow that could be worn.

'I should probably go up there, thank her and try to calm her down.' Naruto thought to himself as he ran his hands through the beautiful material.

 **"Yeah … I wouldn't do that if I were you."** The fox said in a wary tone.

'But, why?!'

 **"Brat, I don't give a flying fuck if you are her master! There are somethings that are best left for tomorrow … Brat, for both our sakes, count your blessings and take the couch tonight."** The Kyuubi had seen enough female behaviour both Human and otherwise, to recognise nature's plainest danger signals.

"Fine! I will listen to ya ." Naruto responded uncertainly. He didn't know why but every time he glanced upstairs his instincts just went the equivalent of 'There be dragons here!'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While the matters of the heart were playing out in Konoha, a storm was brewing on the horizon. A storm that threatened to blacken the skies and swallow everything in its path.

"Sssooooo, what brings one as great as you to my humble abode?" A sibilant voice echoed throughout the dank dungeon.

"It is time we became a bit more proactive in our efforts." The only other occupant of the dungeon, who was barely visible due to the shadows clinging to him spoke.

"WE?" The first voice prompted with a laugh before continuing. "I never pegged _you_ for a teamplayer – my dear Danzo."

"Situations change and I am nothing if not adaptable." The bandaged elder of Konoha stepped forward into the light.

"Adaptable, huh? … Ku Ku Ku … You call fleeing like a rat in the night, adaptability?" The other voice taunted yet again. "Perhaps this situation is far beyond even your reach … Tell me why should a 'WE' even exist anymore?"

"I may have had to retreat – for the time being … but I am far from powerless as you well know … Orochimaru."

On hearing his name spoken out loud, the other man stepped forward and the eerie illumination from the tanks containing unspeakable abominations lit up his face to reveal a snake-like visage. The man had sickly pale skin, golden eyes with slitted pupils, purple markings around the eyes and his fang-like teeth. He also had pronounced cheekbones and straight waist-length black hair to his shoulders, which was held in a loose ponytail.

"Really … So, what exactly are you saying?" Orochimaru said with his customary nightmare-inducing grin.

"I want to know if you are going to honour our original agreement? – I hope for your sake that you do." Danzo said gruffly.

"Oh, _that_ agreement …" Orochimaru taunted, "… was it the one where you help me invade the village and kill the third Hokage and I leave you to rule over what's left? … Ku Ku Ku … Kind of rings a bell."

"You don't have to make it sound so cold … All I do is for the benefit of the village … Do we have an agreement?" Danzo prompted again.

"Ku Ku Ku … I can't really say no if you are being so forceful now, can I?" Orochimaru said with a mocking laugh.

"We will meet again to finalise the plan. Until next time." His last words spoken, Danzo swept from the room without a backward glance. 'I need you only until you dispose of Hiruzen for me. Once that is done, Root will step forward and do what it was always meant to do – protect Konoha … I _will_ be Hokage and I _will_ lead her to glory.'

"Ku Ku Ku." Orochimaru laughed to himself as he watched the old war hawk leave. 'Poor Danzo! Always chasing after sensei's shadow … You _will_ be the hokage … of a pile of ash and ruins!'

**A/N #2: Yuki is back! I know there were some of you who kept sending PMs about when I was bringing her back - well, here ya go.**

**Also, no animals were actually harmed IRL during the filming of the first scene. I had always wondered about the poor animals who would have been affected by the terrain changing battles that happened all the time in the show. Imagine being a deer or something and just chilling - and out of absolutley nowhere comes a Shinra Tensei to ruin your day.**

**A/N #3: Some other PMs I received were about how in the hell was Naruto going to control the Onikuma - I hope this chapter cleared it up. Blaze1992 I hope you are okay with this man!**

**Of course, that doesn't mean that we have seen the end of Onikuma related problems. No sir!  
**

**I will be introducing more Yokai related arcs and side stories down the line.**

**A/N #4: You guys already know that this is my first time writing any fiction ever but I had never imagined myself writing soppy, romantic stuff or anything like it. So, please tell me how you liked it and what other suggestions you have.**

**I have de-aged Ayame a bit. I will make the necessary changes in the previous chapters at a later time. The "relationship" will of course not devolve into them swearing undying love for each other right from the get go. There will be experimentation, doubts, figuring things out and much more as the story progresses. Their relationship is about two people who hail from completely different walks of life and is built on friendship and understanding. It will take time to flesh it out so, hold your horses.**

**A/N #5: Kakashi and Naruto getting closer and ganging up. What awaits the world? hehehehe**

**But seriously, Kakashi is one of the most emotionally broken characters I have ever seen. Naruto and Kakashi healing each other will definitely get some focus down the line.**

**A/N #6: Shino and Hinata have gotten stronger and the full extent of their abilities will come to light in the coming chapters.**

**Team 7 bar Sasuke will not be useless - like in the anime.**

**A/N #7:** **Those of you clamouring for Naruto/Multi, to them I say - perhaps. To those who say nay, I say - even if I do go that route, I swear on Chakra that I will not turn it into a tasteless harem fic. And also, no lemon-y stuff till my boy reaches the age of 16 at least (No lemons involving Naruto at least.)**


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